An Unseen Censer
by rangerbagel
Summary: Sookie and Jason's long-lost cousin Sylvie, a Sue with Substance, arrives following the resolution of the Bon Tempes murders. Sylvie provides an alternative story line while not disrupting what I think are major plot points. There is violence, sex, and some surrealism. Eric/OC (Finished)
1. Chapter 1

"_Well doesn't she look hot in those shorts. That's gotta be Sooks"_ The thoughts seemed to flow through Sookie like a wind from outside. She gasped and dropped a plate of chicken-fried steak, and though she anticipated it to clatter and splatter all over the floor, she caught it. Sookie glanced up in shock as Lafayette mockingly applauded her avoidance of an epic party-foul.

Sookie suddenly felt ancient memories wash all over her. These little flashes of the voice behind her, belonging to another little girl felt like sparks in her hair. She turned, shaking, and gazed upon the skinny girl who had never opened her mouth, yet had said so much.

"Oh my stars..." Sookie's breath choked in her throat.

"Oh, Sooks, don't cry or I'm going to cry." The girl's happy face fell into a pout. A tear already trickled down her cheek. She lunged for Sookie and they held each other helplessly. Sam and Tara stood awkwardly between the two. After what seemed like an eternity of sniffling and hugging, Sam cleared his throat.

Sookie pulled away, wiping her face, "Oh, my, Sam."

"Hi there!" Sam straightened and extended a hand to the skinny brunette.

"Sam, this is Sylvie...She's my cousin!" Sookie sobbed with glee as she gripped hands with the stranger.

"Holy shit, Sylvie!" Tara suddenly sprang to life and grabbed the respective cousins, gripping them in an adorable group hug.

"Oh my god, girl!"

"-I can't believe it"

"I know!-"

"Oh my shit!" The ladies danced around in a strange circle, reuniting as if no time had passed. And so much time had passed.

Tara and Sylvie sat in a booth, their eyes swollen and misty. Sookie was barely holding herself up as she paced along the worn floor of Merlotte's, on the phone with Jason. She rambled loudly as Tara queried the long-lost neighbor of Bon Temps.

"We never thought we'd see you again."

"I know. I'm sorry I didn't make it back sooner. Didn't call. Didn't write."

"Well, whatever. Fuck! How the hell are you?" Tara giggled and Sookie hung up the phone, rejoining the little coven as she gripped Sylvie's hand tightly.

"I'm great. I just finished school... Mom died."

"Oh my stars!" Sookie exclaimed again. Her mind flashed back to the last day she and Sylvie played together. In the back yard they splashed in a little pool. Tara buried her shoe in the dirt a few feet away. Sylvie sang a little song in her head only Sookie could hear. It was a little private soundtrack she played all throughout their visits. Suddenly a tall, skinny mom slithered into the yard. She stroked Sookie's head gently, and let the thought betray her efforts to think of nothing, "_Oh sweet baby, I wish I could take you, too. Lord!"_ With that Sylvie waved goodbye, scooped up in her mother's arms. Sookie watched them as the thought-song slowly faded away. A year later Sookie's parents would be dead. First she lost Sylvie, then her uncle disappeared from grief. Her parents were stolen from her. And now, this day, with her Grandmother in a grave as fresh as the large bruise on her eye, Sookie stared at a ghost from her childhood. She stared and cried as Jason walked in.

"That's right!" He whooped as the women at the table leapt up. Jason grabbed his little cousin, gripping her as if he feared she would leave again.

Night fell on the Stackhouse home. Sookie, Jason, Tara, and the long-lost cousin all the way from California sat around the table. Laughter filled the house again. Soon there was a knock at the door and Sookie's eyes lit up.

"Oh, Sylvie, that's Bill!" She ran for the door.

"Ooh, Bill." Sylvie giggled until she noticed how Tara and Jason's eyes fell. It seemed that their previous acceptance of Bill's vampirism was not entirely truthful. She wondered how extensively they knew of Sookie's own gifts. She wondered how they might react knowing she was just as different, feeling suddenly alone. Perhaps she would have more in common with Bill Compton than those in the town she had left so long ago.

"Bill, meet Sylvie!" Sookie announced as she led the chivalrous vampire into the kitchen. Sylvie stood and shook his hand. "Oh, Bill, it's great to meet you. Sooks likes you so much!" Her cousin blushed and gripped her love's arm. Sylvie could sense her happiness even without Sookie's telepathy.

"I am also very pleased to meet you, and if I may say so, very surprised!" He bowed slightly and tried to smile as gently as possible. He seemed suspicious, however. Sylvie noted how protective he was over Sookie. He'd clearly saved her on more than one occasion.

"I can understand that sentiment, Bill."

"Why haven't you returned or written until now?" Bill asked uncharacteristically bluntly. Sookie gripped his arm and seemed hurt by his slight rudeness.

Sylvie sighed and tried to smile as gently as possible. She motioned for everyone to take their seats. "I am unsure whether or not Sookie has mentioned to you how my mother took me away, Bill. I was very young. We were all very young. I can't offer much explanation as to her decision, but let's just say that the_talents_ that seem to live in the Stackhouse blood seem to live in my mother's as well." Bill's eyes widened. Jason sat back in his chair. It was not common for people to speak so bluntly about Sookie's mind-reading. He felt a twinge of unimportance. Sookie caught her brother's thought and glanced at him lovingly.

Sylvie continued, "With her talents came instability. She was extremely paranoid. We drove to California and never spoke of home again. When I finished school, she passed away." Sookie sniffled and held her fingers to her lips, hanging on every word. "It was like she was waiting for me to grow up. As I organized her things I found memories...I knew it was time to come back, start over. Connect again. I'm just sad I couldn't do it before Gran..." Sylvie trailed off.

"You're here now!" Sookie blurted out. The images of Sylvie cleaning out her mother's home were painfully similar to Sookie's experience in Gran's bedroom. She couldn't bear the parallel and tried to block out Sylvie's thoughts.

"Damn right I'm here! I got money, I got a world-class education with no career prospects, and I got all the crazy shit that's going on around here!" The table laughed into the night, reminiscing tearfully. It was like the sadness and fear of late had washed away, even if for a short time. Sylvie Stackhouse was home, and it seemed possible that good could come with the future.


	2. Chapter 2

"_I am really shitty at this, Sooks._" Sylvie's thought rang out in Sookie's head while she took an order from Hoyt. She laughed in spite of herself and Hoyt seemed hurt.

"Oh, just laughing at Sylvie, not you, Hoyt." She patted him on the shoulder and turned around to see Sylvie pulling down at her shorts.

"I am not cut out for booty shorts, Sooks. This is completely ridiculous. God has a real weird sense of humor giving a skinny girl a big ass." Sylvie straightened suddenly as Lafayette laughed at her funny little dance.

"Honey, a good booty is no joke." The fabulous cook smirked at her, "Order up! Get that booty workin'."

Sylvie and Sookie worked into the evening, the dinner crowd swelling and waning like a wave of sweet southerners. Night fell. Sookie seemed to brighten immediately.

Sylvie's voice crept into Sookie's mind "_Ah, now, the night time is the right time to be with the one you love..._" She rolled her eyes and took off her apron. It was true, and tonight was the night to be with Bill.

Sylvie stayed behind to close. She was about to finish up with her tips when she noticed Lafayette had forgotten a bag of trash. She grabbed it and headed for the back, for the dumpster. Sylvie thought about how much she liked Lafayette and everyone in Bon Temps. It was such a big change from California, from her intense university experience. Everything seemed more easygoing, more still in the night. She chuckled thinking of Bill, of the Vampire community in Louisiana. Sookie told her all about it, about all the weird politics, the murders, the blood. Though this town seemed so much more simple than Sylvie was used to, it had its depths. Sylvie, hoped however that she'd missed all the scary stuff.

When she opened the back door, however, she caught sight of Lafayette suddenly leaping onto the dumpster. His terror was powerful and consuming. Sylvie froze and glanced slightly to her left as a blur pursued her new friend. Time seemed to slow. She dropped the bag, the door began to close behind her. A flurry of thoughts occurred in a mere second: She and Lafayette would die. This is a killer, vampire, something. She pushed a thought into her gut and flung a hand toward the blur. It froze; became still and immediate.

The figure was tall, blonde, a beautiful woman with a focused and mischievous face. Her determined brow contorted in shock and horror as she was held in place by some unseen censer. Her eyes turned slowly to Sylvie, a skinny girl with a big ass. Lafayette climbed down from the dumpster.

"Holy shit. What the fuck...? Sylvie...Sylvie, you better fuckin' run, girl."

"No. I can't."

"Shit, it's got you too. If this shit can stop a vampire-"

"Vampire?" Sylvie started and looked toward Lafayette. The woman suddenly fell. Her freedom hit her and she attempted another high-speed attack. This time, however, it was for Sylvie.

"Sylvie!' Lafayette screamed and lunged, but the vampire was frozen again.

It was like she'd hit a wall. Sylvie held both hands before her. The woman's fangs extended suddenly, "What are you?" She seemed to almost smile in her curious rage.

"What are _you?"_ Sylvie retorted.

"I asked first." The woman snarled. Sylvie's head turned slightly and the woman gagged. She screamed out as her throat contracted, gripped by a phantom.

"Talk." Sylvie commanded. The woman fell to the ground. She coughed and spat. She didn't attempt a third attack. She decided that cooperation, as much as it disgusted her, would be the best recourse in this situation.

"Your big friend here must answer for a crime, or possibly more than one." She glanced at Lafayette whose face contorted in fear. He clearly knew of what this woman spoke. It was apparent to Sylvie that he could be guilty. However, whatever his involvement, no justice could begin with a sneak attack. Sylvie did not trust this person. She was clearly a very predatory vampire sent on a mission. The mystery of it all was intensely irresistible.

"So you're a vamp cop then?" Sylvie moved over between the woman and Lafayette. She could feel him relax as she did so.

"Not exactly..." The woman rubbed at her neck.

"Were you going to kill him?" Sylvie asked

"No...Not yet anyway."

"Then you were going to take him someplace?" Sylvie braced herself as the woman stood and fixed her hair.

"The Sheriff of the area. I must take him to the Sheriff. He will be held and questioned. This situation doesn't concern you."

"But he's my friend. And being that I saw you, you would have probably killed me after glamoring him." Sylvie crossed her arms defiantly and Lafayette began to shake. The memories of Eddie flashed through his head. He thought of Sylvie's fool cousin, that V-freak would get him killed. A deep shame followed his anger. His enterprising business sense had lost him Eddie. He was probably dead. Lafayette lamented his greed.

"You seem to understand us better than your friend. I will spare you. I still have to take him." The woman arched an eyebrow mockingly.

"I'm not going to let you." Sylvie snapped. "If your Sheriff has questions for him, they can come here.

"He doesn't make house calls."

"So you're his errand-vamp, not cop-vamp." Sylvie sniggered.

"Watch it, bloodbag, or I'll-" The Vampire stopped, suddenly, recalling the phantom force from before. It had been this little human, somehow. "How about this?..." She started again, trying to seem cool and superior, "You come along. You can be his little lawyer. Either way, we will get him. If you come now, we won't just kill him later."

Lafayette gasped. He did not trust this. This vampire clearly thought the censer from before was Sylvie, but that couldn't be possible. Yet he wasn't about to suggest she was powerless, that would surely get them both killed.

Sylvie thought a moment. She did not know if she could restrain a nest of vampires. She assumed the Sheriff had several loyal vampires around him, all old and strong like the one before her now. While she calculated the extent of her strength and worried of the cost to her brain she tried to match the vampire's cool exterior. She begrudgingly agreed. The three of them walked toward a car in the shadows.

"Oh, Sylvie, don't do this..." Lafayette whispered.

"Shh. She can hear us. Just trust me." Sylvie grabbed his hand. He gripped her tightly such that she could feel him trembling. As they sat in the car, buckled up, and began to drive Sylvie closed her eyes. "_Sookie...Sooks...Please hear me. God, please hear me...Me..Lafayette...A vampire is taking us to see the Sheriff. A vampire is taking us to see the Sheriff!"_


	3. Chapter 3

Lafayette's leg had been shaking for the entire ride. Both he and Sylvie sat in the back. Lafayette was too afraid of the vampire and Sylvie needed distance in order to react in time. She watched their driver closely and intently. She tried to get Lafayette to pay attention to their surroundings, but he was too nervous. Sylvie tried to still his fidgeting, but too much restriction of his movements would alarm him further.

Finally, the trio approached the back of a bar. "Fangtasia_"_ Lafayette whispered. The vampire shot him a cold look. Sylvie tried to focus on alerting Sookie while keeping an eye on their captor.

They walked into the club from the back. Vampires and people had taken refuge in the halls and bathrooms to swap blood. Slurping and cries could be heard all around them.

"Oh Jesus..." Lafayette choked as they walked into a dark office. Sylvie looked away from the vampire woman. She started straight ahead at an enormous blond. His cold eyes gripped her.

"Pam..." He began tensely, "An explanation for this, please." His head tilted slightly as he noticed the girl companion of the big drag queen smirk at Pam's name.

"I brought the V-dealer, but it was more difficult than expected." She crossed her arms. Sylvie noted that her coolness was faltering.

"What could have been so difficult about it? It was unnecessary to bring this little human. Though she does smell appetizing." He raised his eyebrows briefly and leaned back in his chair. He focused on Sylvie's face. She could feel him trying to penetrate her mind, bring her into his fold.

Pam sighed as she noted his effort, "She's different. She has some sort of ability. It's strange. She reminds me of-"

"Stackhouse." Eric the Sheriff finished her sentence. Lafayette gasped and his head dropped.

"What's that, Mr. Lafayette?" Eric turned his head.

"Nothing..." He stammered. Sylvie took his hand.

"It's ok, don't worry." She smiled briefly, but Lafayette had trouble believing her.

Eric stood up from his desk and crossed his arms. They bulged in his tank top. Sylvie couldn't help but chuckle at his apparent vanity, not that it was unfounded. "I think he should worry. He's a known dealer of Vampire blood. His supplier has gone missing." Sylvie glanced at Lafayette, incidentally abandoning the intense gaze of Eric.

"Lafayette, do you know where he is? Tell them!" Eric seemed irritated. Two focused attempts to glamor her had failed. He debated whether or not he should bother letting the Drag Queen explain himself.

"I-I-Went to his place and he was gone. I don't know what happened..."

"But you have a suspicion of the culprit." Eric walked close to the two humans. Sylvie gasped slightly at how he towered over both of them. Lafayette looked at the ground, shook his head as if trying to dislodge a thought from his mind. Eric repeated himself slowly, "You have a suspicion of the culprit..."

Lafayette suddenly looked at Sylvie, tears in his eyes. "Tell them!" she urged again.

"I'm sorry Sylvie, you ain't gonna like this..." Lafayette looked up at Eric the Sheriff. He took a deep breath and exclaimed, "I ain't sure, I got no evidence. But it might'a...might'a been..." Lafayette bit his lip in grief.

"Who?" Eric shouted so suddenly even Pam jumped.

"J-Jason Stackhouse..." Sylvie squeaked in pain and covered her mouth and nose with her hands. Her eyes stung with tears and Lafayette contritely dropped his head. He couldn't even look at her.

Eric tilted his head curiously and raised an eyebrow. He walked gently over to Sylvie. "Why such a reaction from you? Is Jason Stackhouse yours? I would've thought the only one to care about him would be his naïve sister."

"You shut your mouth about them! You have no idea what you're talking about!" Sylvie snapped as hot tears rolled down her face. Her whole body tensed. Eric didn't move, but focused more intently. He gave glamoring one more attempt. Sylvie craned her neck upward to not release his gaze. He thought he had her.

"Who are you? Why do you care about the Stackhouse humans?" He laced his fingers at his waist. His brow furrowed and he realized his efforts were futile again.

"I'm Sylvie. My dad was a Stackhouse. That's _my_ family you're talking about." Sylvie clenched her fists.

"You're another one of the Stackhouse brood?" Eric grinned slightly. This group of humans was becoming more and more interesting. Perhaps this small girl could prove a useful tool. He thought she looked a little vampiric herself; dark and pale all at the same time.

"They're my cousins. I just got them back. You leave them alone. And Lafayette, too. He made a mistake in selling V. I know he won't do it again. Right?" Sylvie shot a look to Lafayette.

He stammered, "Absolutely. I never wanted anything to happen to Eddie. You don't gotta worry about me slangin' no more V, boyfriend. I'm out'a that business for good."

Eric sighed and rolled his eyes. "I am not accustomed to having such trials with an offending human go so... bloodlessly."

Sylvie tensed and then smiled, "There's always a first time..."

Eric's fangs flicked down. He wanted to fill these humans with deep fear. Though he would not kill her, a pounding heart produced hotter, more delicious blood. But the girl remained frozen. Her defiance filled him with irritation and he decided to have her now.

But Eric found he could not move. It was as if something gripped his chest and held him in place. He pushed forward but his feet only slid in place, as if here were doing some little dance. He threw his arms at Sylvie.

"Hold it, Sunshine!" Sylvie shouted as Eric was suddenly thrown back against the desk, his shoes screeching along the floor.

"She did this to me, too! She's different. I was trying to tell you!" Pam exclaimed as she approached Eric. He retracted his fangs. He ran a hand through his hair and composed himself.

"Explain," he commanded of Sylvie.

"Why should I?" She growled.

"Because I want you to." He grinned charmingly. She noted that he was trying a more subtle manipulation where glamoring had failed. His arrogance and brutality were boorish, but Sylvie had to stifle a laugh at his flirtatious new approach of things.

She smiled, matching his demeanor. "Like _Pam_ said. I'm just different. Beautiful unique snowflake." Lafayette chuckled just once. He began to feel somewhat confident the more apparent it was Sylvie would win this round with the Sheriff. It was obvious she was the unseen censer from before.

Eric stood and walked toward her slowly. He stopped about four feet away and crossed his arms, "Do it again?" He looked so smug. Sylvie breathed in deep, trying to hide her fear. The tension of the situation was filling her with insecurity. She did not like being exposed, leaving Lafayette exposed in this way, in the _lair_ of a powerful vampire. It had taken so much strength to not only restrain him, but to make it look effortless. She knew that she needed to maintain the appearance of absolute control. They were used to being the strongest, the fastest. She needed to be stronger, faster.

"No." Sylvie said sternly, trying to maintain her poker face. The room stayed silent. Pam squinted and Lafayette held his breath. Suddenly, in ultimate swiftness Eric grabbed Sylvie. He gripped her waist and wrapped his fingers around her neck, running his thumb over a thumping vein. Sylvie didn't breath, didn't blink. She relaxed as much as she could, letting him hold her on her feet. They stared at each other and stood as if in a duel, waiting for one another to move, flinch, anything. Sylvie gathered her strength for an impending attack or defense, but she began to feel something in the back of her head. It was Sookie.


	4. Chapter 4

A smile curled slowly over Sylvie's lips. She tried to saturate her face with smugness. Eric allowed himself to blink and part his lips. Lafayette sucked in air.

"Pam," Eric called without moving.

"What is it?"

"Bill Compton is here. Let him and Sookie in." Pam slipped past Eric and Sylvie slowly, stealing a glance at the strong warrior hand wrapped around her neck. Pam attempted to calculate the possible solutions for this situation. She was anxious for Eric's triumph over this little human, for the chance to share a taste of her blood. Pam's irritation with the inability to put her down weighed heavy on her ego. She attempted to console herself with the image of one day getting a crack at the girl's neck as she opened the door to reveal Bill Compton about to break it down.

"Sylvie!" Sookie screamed out. Bill suddenly held her back as he noted the grip Eric had on Sookie's cousin. Though he couldn't fathom why, Eric seemed poised to kill her and Bill couldn't bear to let that happen, to let Sookie lose someone else she loved dearly.

"I'm fine Sooks." Sylvie chirped.

"Yes, _Sooks_, she's just fine." Eric grinned without looking away from Sylvie. "I suspect she's allowing me to hold her like this."

"What?" Bill gasped. "Let her go. You've glamored her. You mustn't violate her this way. Please, stand down."

"Hm. A plea from Bill Compton." Eric spoke quietly to Sylvie, "Just as I suspect your submission, I also suspect that you mean very much to dear Sookie."

"Let her go, shithead!" Sookie swore uncharacteristically. Sylvie dropped to the floor and a blur moved to where Sookie stood. Before anyone could think Eric was halted in his pursuit. An invisible lasso roped around his neck, his shoulders. Just as before he could not budge. Sookie's mouth fell open as the giant vampire Sheriff teetered before her, fangs extended, seemingly with every intent of killing her. Yet he reposed, held by something. Bill sighed in disbelief and Sookie suddenly saw Sylvie. She was standing, bent at the waist and leaning strangely forward toward Eric, as if holding onto the rope that restrained him. Her hands held straight and tense outward, her fingers spread. Her mouth agape, she held him like he'd held her moments before in stalemate.

"Now that's more like it." Eric sheathed his fangs and grinned. He licked his lips at Sookie, Pam behind him laughed slightly, amused at his ruse.

"Do you want me to pick her off now, Eric? I think you've got her good and distracted." Pam giggled.

"Don't get cute, sneaky." Sylvie coughed. "I may not be able to freeze you while holding him, but I got enough left in me to put you through the wall. Or maybe..." Suddenly one of the chairs cracked into a pile of makeshift stakes, "one of this could do the job for me."

"Neither of those defenses will be necessary, _Sylvie_. Pam needn't be involved. And if you release me I will not harm your... cousin."

"You big jerk, you'd better leave us alone!" Sookie snarled at Eric's extended knowledge of her family. She wanted so much to be rid of him. He seemed to linger in her life like a stink in the air.

"Don't test me." Eric grinned again.

"I can test you all I want." Sookie jabbed a finger in his chest arrogantly. "Sylvie has you tied up like a cow. A big... stupid... cow."

Eric sighed and rolled his eyes, "I doubt she can hold me all night-"

"- But maybe until dawn!" Sylvie interrupted. The smugness left Eric's face. His next move was not planned out. He couldn't anticipate this particular power she had. Her vast weaknesses made her as pitiful as any little creature on four legs, but this one slight skill proved a very serious hurdle.

"Very good point, Sylvie!" Eric looked up at the ceiling, then suddenly turned his head to Lafayette, who jumped slightly. "Mr. Lafayette, do you have buyers of V in the Dallas area?"

"Uh..." Lafayette stammered, "Just one... I don't know the guy, I just got an e-mail address: pussylover at shemail."

"Classy." Eric responded, "If I release you from your responsibility in this matter, can I count on you being cooperative should I have further questions?"

"Y-Yeah, if I get to keep all my own blood I'll tell you what I know. I'll tell you anything." Lafayette nodded confidently.

Eric turned his head back to Sookie, but spoke to Sylvie, "See, now? We can discuss these things in a pleasant manner. I have no intention of harming Miss Sookie. She's proven to be valuable... as I suspect you may be as well. Now, how about we end this party early?" Sookie stared into his face suspiciously but seemed to think he was being honest.

"Sylvie," Sookie called out as she looked at Eric, "I think you can let him go. Just let him go."

Eric lurched forward back in control of himself. Sylvie gasped and gagged, falling to one knee. Sookie ran to her, holding her cheeks in her hands.

"_Pretend like I'm fine. Don't let them see that I'm weakened. Pick me up, Sooks!"_ Sylvie's thoughts rang out like a bell. Sookie suddenly lifted her up.

"Oh, you're fine. Sylvie, don't scare me like that!" Sookie breathed in deep as Sylvie composed herself as quickly as she could.

"Yeah, sorry. Got a cramp when I let him go. I'm cool. Could use somethin' to eat though."

"Me too." Eric chimed in, looking flirtatiously at Lafayette.

"Hey, now, boyfriend, we had us a deal." Lafayette slunk back and Bill scowled as Eric giggled looking down at him.

"I'm teasing you." Eric turned to face Sookie and Sylvie. "I'm glad we could come to an agreement. I will approach the both of you again."

"Approach? For what?" Sookie stood defensively between him and Sylvie.

Eric bowed slightly, "Assistance..." He turned away, motioning for Pam to escort them out. The group piled into Bill's car and remained silent, exhausted and confused for the ride back to Bon Tempes.

"Y'all better start explaining what just happened..." Sookie crossed her arms and scoffed from the front seat. Lafayette and Sylvie met eyes and stifled a laugh for a moment.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Sooks." Sylvie began. "Things were just going so great. It was hard to admit that I wasn't normal. I was going to... I was going to be honest... But I really didn't want to have to do _that_ kind of thing anymore..."

"How do you do _that?"_ Sookie asked breathlessly.

"I don't honestly know, Sooks. My mom made me practice as I grew up, like drills every day. I've got good control now. But I can only wish I knew where it came from..." Sylvie trailed off and Sookie sighed. She knew all too well the uncertainty Sylvie must be feeling.

"And what did you do, Lafayette?" Sookie snapped her neck around.

"Ohh..." He began incredulously. "I took a risk. I got bit." He smiled and Sylvie laughed in spite of herself. She was incredibly tired. "As of tonight I gotta get out of a certain drug business..."

"You were selling V!" Sookie announced.

"Calm down, hooker... I haven't sold it in a while. I'm not gonna sell it again. That's all you need to know..." He cocked his head to the side and reclined in the seat. Sookie turned around to gaze out at the road. She snuggled up to Bill and for a moment wished he were warm.


	5. Chapter 5

_Weeks Later._

Sylvie awoke to the sound of Sookie rustling anxiously downstairs. Though she sympathized with her cousin's relationship anxiety, Sylvie was still traumatized by the sight of a woman with a giant hole in her chest staring at her discoverers from the back of the Detective's car. The screams echoed in her head and she regretted intensely agreeing to work on her night off. The experience made her resent Sookie's preoccupation with Bill's _ward_. Sylvie was confused by the entire process and she wondered if she would ever understand vampire socio-cultural practices or their political structure. It all seemed cultish and eerie.

When Sylvie descended the stairs Sookie could barely stop talking to breathe. She wanted to nurture the fledgling vampire Jessica as if she were a normal teenager. Sookie's maternalesque rambling intermixed with her anxieties over a new killer on Bon Tempes. She seemed desperate to have things normal, driven to quell the troubles of her home town. Nothing was resolved as Sylvie left for her lunch shift at Merlotte's.

In the early night Lafayette sashayed down the walkway of a particularly good client with the intention of piling into his car and going home with his pile of cash. With a sudden whir of the air around him Eric appeared inches from his face.

With a choked scream Lafayette jumped nearly out of his skin and over the railing of the high walkway. He flipped ass over teakettle and landed explosively on the ground. His ankle impacted a large pointed rock and his scream was as bloodcurdling as the site of his femur protruding through muscle, skin, and denim. The searing pain enveloped him and wiped away any possible fear.

Then Eric stood over him, "Oh dear. That's going to require months of healing." He tilted his head, "That is if they can set the bone. Could very well end up with a stump instead of a foot." He sighed nonchalantly and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"I need an ambulance... please..." Lafayette panted and laid out on the ground, unable to look at the source of his horrible pain.

"I can do that if you'd prefer the hard recovery. Though I think there's a more immediate alternative." Eric crouched down near Lafayette's head and bunched his jacket sleeve up to his elbow. He flexed his forearm revealing a thick vein. "Thousand-year-old blood flows in this vein. You would be healed." Lafayette stared suspiciously at Eric's face, then relaxed, as if to submit to his will. Eric extended his fangs and lifted his wrist to his mouth.

After a grueling and lonely day Sylvie parked in the driveway of the Stackhouse home. As she ascended the stairs and put on her pajamas she wondered about Jason. She wondered about his new-found faith, his mysterious seminar. She worried about Lafayette's supposition being correct; that perhaps Jason's leaving was interlaced either directly or indirectly with the disappearance of the vampire Eddie. It seemed like everyone with whom she sought to reunite was falling away. Sookie, Jason, and Tara -– in the strangest way of all –- were seeping out of the Bon-Tempes ideal that Sylvie had desperately wanted to be real. She sighed and hoped that all the changes would be for the best.

Suddenly Sylvie heard the distinctive and gritty sound of a swerving car in the distance. She stepped outside and heard a lurch and curses. They came from Bill's house, but were from neither Sookie nor Bill. Sylvie supposed it was Jessica exercising what Sookie described as "growing pains" and turned to go back inside. But something strange struck her. She only heard one car door slam. It seemed a strange idea that Bill would allow a fledgling vampire with low impulse control to take his car. Could she even drive? A sudden jolt shot through Sylvie's back as she attempted to turn around again. It was a stark familiar feeling in the back of her head, like the sense that someone you can't see is looking at you from afar. She gasped. This jolt was fear bound. It was Sookie.

Sylvie grabbed her bag and ran to the car, flip flop and pajama clad. She peeled out of the driveway and sped off. For a moment she felt instinctively where she needed to go. She hesitated consciously, however. She wondered where Sookie really was, if this feeling was real, and if it was, could she arrive at the right place at the right time?

Sylvie drove mindlessly in the dark until the sun began to rise. She had an epiphany moments after questioning where Sookie might be. It was Fangtasia. Somehow that giant blond was involved. Whether or not he was the culprit in Sookie's predicament Sylvie didn't know. She knew, however, she must get to Fangtasia. She nearly swerved off the road demanding in type that her phone provide the directions. She was alarmed too much to both drive and use her ability. Her mind was clouded with too many thoughts.

Sylvie arrived in front of Fangtasia and barely threw her car in park before running up to the door. She banged and pounded to be let in. She knew Sookie must be inside. No one answered, but Sylvie could hear someone scurrying within. She ran around the side of the building banging on the walls as she went, screaming for her cousin. When no entrance was readily available she raged. She charged back to the front door, grit her teeth, held out her hand and clenched until the door buckled as if by its own will. It flung open and Sylvie noted for only a second a frightened skinny blond woman staring at her, pistol aimed right at her head. Something fast and small whizzed by her scull. Everything went black.


	6. Chapter 6

Sookie reposed on the floor of Fangtasia, cold and tugging at the red t-shirt that provided little warmth. She heald a cold wet towel to Sylvie's head as she slept deeply, limbs splayed every which way. Sookie couldn't hear anything from her. It seemed almost like she'd fallen into a coma, but it didn't make sense. The bullet hadn't done any serious damage. It only nicked her forehead slightly. Very little blood had trickled out of the wound. Sookie worried, however, that the laceration to the back of her scull was an indicator of a much more serious injury. But Sylvie breathed deeply, slept for hours; most of the day. Sookie determined that if there were something seriously wrong with her cousin, Bill would be able to help. He just needed to wake.

A few hours before dusk Sylvie's eyes fluttered. Little neon spots clouded her vision and an oily blur disguised Sookie's face.

"_So much for a rescue."_ Sookie heard Sylvie's first thought. She chuckled.

"I appreciate the attempt. It was very impressive." Sylvie smiled and attempted to sit up.

"Oh my god, my head." She placed her hand to the back of her scull and felt a welt and a forming scab. "How long have I been out?" She slured.

"Hours. It's almost dark." Sookie dabbed at Sylvie's forehead again.

"Damn. I come runnin' to help you and end up the one getting nursed. What happened? I felt something, it was horrible." Sylvie's brow furrowed in sadness.

"I'm ok now, don't worry. I was so stupid last night. I took Jessica to see her family..."

"Shit, Sookie!" Sylvie's mouth fell open.

"I know, I know!" Sookie sighed. "It was a terrible idea, she rushed inside, it was completely crazy. Bill showed up and had to glamor them all. Then we had a fight and I left the car. I actually thought I could walk back by myself." She hesitated and looked down at her naked knees. "Something came after me. It had horns and these weird claw things." she gripped her wrist and mimed a claw. "It scratched me bad. And I guess it poisoned me. Oh, Sylvie, it was the worst pain. But I'm ok. Bill took me here and this healer fixed me up."

"Where's Bill now?" Sylvie queried.

"He's resting in the back, I guess." Sookie turned and the t-shirt rode up to her hips.

"Sweet shirt, Sooks. Can I get one?" Sylvie pursed her lips and her cousin laughed in spite of herself. "I can take you home. I brought my car."

"No, we shouldn't go without Bill. He'll be up in a few hours." Sookie huffed, "And I guess I should thank Eric..."

"What? That big caveman? Why?"

"Well he did kind of save me. He knew to get the healer. As much as I hate to admit it, he helped save my life." Sookie's face fell. She didn't like the notion of being somewhat in debt to Eric. She remembered suddenly how she'd promised to help him anytime as long as he didn't kill the person who embezzled money from the club. It seemed like her debts to the Sheriff were mounting up. She was worried Sylvie's new-found protectiveness of her would get her in trouble with the vampires. She didn't know whether to tell her about her bargain with the "caveman."

"Well... I suppose that's a good reason. I guess anybody can do a good deed. No matter how much I distrust them." Sylvie shrugged and tried to get up, but a pang from her head hit her gut and she dropped to one knee from the nausea.

"Sylvie! Are you ok?" Sookie grabbed her arms.

"Ugh. Yeah. Sorry, Sookie. Don't worry, it just happens sometimes if I strain too much. I was pretty angry when I wrenched that door... Oh shit..."

"What?" Sookie pleaded.

"I broke their door... Shit... Do you think that Sheriff will be mad? I'm totally going to pay for it. I just thought you were in trouble... Shit, Sooks!" Sylvie began to tremble. Vampires had all these weird rules. What would they do to her for trashing their property?

"Don't worry yet. Just relax for now. I'm sure we can get this worked out. And they think you're invincible anyway, so I don't think they're going to try to mess you up after you just wrecked their door with your brain. Even a vampire would be impressed by that." She smiled and dabbed lovingly again at Sylvie's scratch. "I think you could probably use some ice for your head." She got up and headed to the bar.

Sylvie took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to focus in the event of a fight. "Thanks, Sookie. I'll tell them I'm sorry and promise to send a check..."

The evening waned on and the golden color of the outside darkened ominously. Sylvie lamented her pajamas as Sookie lamented her new t-shirt. Bill finally approached from the back.

"Sookie, is everything all right?" He took her shoulder and looked over at Sylvie sitting at the bar. She held a bag of ice to her head and waved pathetically.

"Bill, it's fine. She sensed I was in trouble."

"You can do that as well, Sylvie?" Bill queried.

"I can't do what Sookie does," Sylvie began, "but I've started getting little blips from her. I think it's more her doing than my doing." She reclined back on the bar. Talking made her head throb.

"What has happened to the door? Has there been an intruder." Bill gazed intensely at Sookie.

"Nope!" Sylvie raised her hand, "That was me again. Don't worry, I'll take care of it..."

"I think it might be best to let me explain. Eric might-"

"Might what, Bill?" Eric interrupted as he swaggered into the main floor of the club. "I have to say, Sookie, that color is great on you." He eyed her up and down then cast his eyes on Sylvie. "Nice pajamas, cousin."

"Nice haircut, Sunshine." She quipped defiantly and regretted her rudeness. After all, she should have been contrite about the door.

"It's the new me..." He purred, running a hand through his freshly cut coiffure. "I assume you're responsible for this vandalism..." He cast a glance at the door.

"Uh..." Sylvie straightened. "Yes. I'm really sorry about that. I thought Sookie was in trouble. But you needn't worry about me shirking my responsibility. I will pay for a new door. Right away."

Eric grunted and looked back at Sookie, "In light of this _responsibility _I think in conjunction with your cooperation your cousin should assist me." Sylvie got up from the stool and moved by her cousin.

"What do you need Sookie for?" Bill seethed suspiciously.

"The Sheriff in Dallas. He must be found."

"Why should I help you?" Sookie snapped.

"You said you would... anytime... if I didn't hurt anyone." Eric turned his gaze to Sylvie. "There could be some brutality should I seek justice for crimes in this area."

"You said you wouldn't hurt Lafayette! You made a deal." Sookie spat.

Eric didn't look at her, but remained fixed on Sylvie, "That's true. I did with Mr. Lafayette. But there could be justice done elsewhere, with another." He narrowed his eyes. Sylvie gasped almost inaudibly, suddenly aware that it was to Jason he was referring. Jason's life was Eric's ace in the hole.

"What?" Sookie suddenly turned to face Sylvie, who felt her cousin begin to root in her mind.

"Sooks! Don't." She shot her an angry glance. "Don't look in my head on this one. You don't want to know. You need to go to Dallas..."

"This is unacceptable!" Bill growled. "How can you tell Sookie to put herself at risk like this?"

"Because... really... she hasn't much other choice." Sylvie's face fell into sorrow. Sookie felt tears well in her eyes. She would honor her cousin and not root out the source of her urgings. She would trust her... And by trusting her, she'd have to trust Eric.

"I will escort her to Dallas." Bill asserted.

Eric chuckled, "So chivalrous, Bill. I can protect her..." He stared at Sookie.

"That will not be necessary. I will be there." Sookie snuggled closer to Bill.

Eric stared at them, "There is the issue of her daytime protection should she be found out..." Bill glanced at the ground, brooding over his nocturnal tendencies. "But should cousin Stackhouse here be willing... to help both Sookie and _others_... Sookie will be well cared for."

Sylvie's eyes widened. She was terrified that she wouldn't be up to the task when the chips were down. But she thought of Jason... and Sookie... It seemed like she had little choice as well. Sylvie glanced at Sookie and nodded.

"We want five grand!" Sookie blurted out to Eric, "A piece!" She took Sylvie's hand and squinted. Eric laughed and agreed. They retired to his office for his checkbook. Sylvie couldn't help but laugh at the cliché of a rich old vampire.


	7. Chapter 7

Sylvie sat tensely on the hotel bed in Dallas. She felt overwhelmed and intimidated at the notion of fighting against an entire church hell bent on destroying anything and everything vampire. It made her feel vulnerable, like being somehow not human would make her seem demonic to this supposed Christian organization. Sylvie winced at them evoking the sun. She resented them using the power of illumination to manipulate, misinform. She resented them more for putting Sookie in a position to risk herself in their fold. Sylvie tried desperately to feel her. She and Hugo had been gone too long. But Sylvie couldn't feel anything. Her connection wasn't substantive and she felt completely inadequate. She wished somehow that Sookie's bellhop hadn't disappeared. She wished he weren't such a coward and had been willing to stand up for something bigger than his own fears. Having two telepaths in on this operation would have made Sylvie feel more confident, more sure of her own ability to assist Sookie. They'd be like a pair of walkie-talkies, sharing a play-by-play of the situation in and out of the fortress of a church.

Suddenly Sylvie heard a quiet commotion outside of her door. She crept up and opened it just a crack and peered out. The two Dallas vampires Isabel and Stan were having a very tense altercation with Eric just outside.

"there will be no mercy..." were the only words she could hear Eric growl before turning toward his own door. Sylvie gasped and held her breath, fearful that he'd see her peaking. She dared not shut the door. He would surely hear that. She clenched and stayed perfectly still, avoiding even a blink.

Eric paused at his door: "If Godric is gone, nothing will bring back what I have lost." Sylvie nearly swooned at what silently followed. A trickle of blood rolled along his nose like a tear. Then in an instant he went inside. Sylvie hastily closed the door as Isabel and Stan scurried away. She couldn't believe what she'd seen. She was confused by Eric's strange bleeding when something occurred to her, it _was_ a tear. She felt solemn and piteous at the realization. It seemed fitting that a vampire, something cold and white like stone, would cry tears of blood like a stoic Madonna. Sylvie thought about how old Eric was and how Godric was twice that. She wondered how it was possible to endure living so long. She was in awe at how the dehuminization of hunting and killing and immortality couldn't triumph over a tear. It seemed like a cruel jab that something like Eric could not only cry, but have to cry in color.

Her sympathy for the vampire and his apparent love for the missing Dallas Sheriff waned after a few moments. She anxiously wanted word, feeling, from Sookie. She wished she could discuss the matter with Bill, but he'd locked himself up in his room, with his thoughts she supposed. Sylvie resented how Bill did not seem to like her. She couldn't fully understand why, though she hoped that somehow after this was all behind them they could be friends. She felt silly and naïve for wanting a family so badly as to strain for the friendship with a vampire who didn't trust her.

In the end she wasn't sure she trusted Bill either. She found it comforting how much he seemed to love Sookie, how much he struggled to protect her from the troubles of his culture. Yet, she was struck by his isolation in his room; why he didn't wait with her so he could share his connection to Sookie's emotions? It seemed like all the men in this equation moved in the shadows metaphorically as well as literally. Though, it was Hugo that troubled Sylvie the most. She wanted to trust Sookie's assertion that he loved Isabel, but it's not uncommon that when things likely got dicey, the person without telepathy, without fangs, and without a horde of extremist followers, could buckle under fear and pressure. Sylvie had wanted to escort Sookie herself, but Eric had supposed that an extreme conservative church might be suspicious of two young women discussing marriage at their alter. Sylvie lamented the humor of the marriage aspect of this endeavor; how it was more believable that Sookie and Hugo, two people in love with vampires, could only marry each other.

Time in the night passed when Sylvie was roused from a nap by a knock on Bill's door right outside. Suddenly the words of Sookie's capture flowed through her brain. This must be Barry the bellhop! The walkie talkie had manned up! Sylvie threw open the door only to be knocked back a step by a blond whoosh. Sylvie growled, knowing it to be Eric and flung herself down the hall as fast as her mind could propel her. She had to catch up to Eric. She didn't know where the Fellowship of the Sun was located. The only chance she had was to match Eric's speed for just a few moments.

She burst out of the hotel and saw him rocket through the sky as if strapped to a jetpack. Of course he can fly, Sylvie rolled her eyes even as she struggled. She threw out her hands, trying to zip-line with her brain to his person. She flew through the air - unlike anything she'd done before - wind whipping her hair in her face, stinging her eyes. She didn't dare close them for the risk in losing sight of the vampire barreling ahead. As the air pounded her mercilessly she inched closer and closer to his feet, straining, trying desperately to touch his sole.

Finally the resistance gave. She latched a hand onto his ankle and heard him exclaim in surprise. He turned his head without slowing, "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Getting Sookie! Keep flying!"

He turned his head, "Hang on, cousin!" and thundered for the church as Sylvie gripped his leg with a flipping stomach.


	8. Chapter 8

Eric and Sylvie arrived in the church. In a moment they rushed into a basement to find what looked like a stoic boy and Sookie buttoning her dress. Sylvie ran for her and they embraced.

"Where's Bill?" Sookie exclaimed.

"I don't know, Sooks. I thought he was in his room. But maybe not... if he didn't know you were in trouble..." Sylvie and Sookie turned. The boy turned out to be none other than Godric, the missing Sheriff. After instructing a kneeling Eric to get the two women out of the church while spilling no blood they ascended the stairs.

When escape through the front door proved nearly impossible the trio headed for the sanctuary. But as they arrived they were surrounded and a cheeky jerkoff in a white suit presented himself.

After a barrage of threats Sylvie lost her temper. She flung her hand forward and the man in the white suit flew back over the alter. Sylvie felt enough rage to rip down the entire church for what they'd done to Sookie... what they threatened to do to Eric, all of them. The man in the white suit got up. Sylvie poised to rip him apart.

"No!" Sookie shouted as she lunged for Sylvie. Then suddenly, for her, everything went black.

Sylvie awoke in that spotty oily way that was all too familiar. She was being carried by someone big and she chuckled at the hope that it was Eric. He would be better than the Christian alternative... When her vision cleared she sighed to see it was him. She had missed everything once again. "Ahh... Christ... Did we win?..." Sylvie croaked.

Eric couldn't help but smile briefly and laugh at the limp thing in his arms. Godric ahead of him turned his head slightly, "Yes. We won thanks, in part, to your help."

Sylvie scoffed and laughed, "Yeah, I'm always a big help charging in... head first..." She let her head drop and dangle over Eric's arm, "Sookie?" Sylvie called out.

"I'm here, Sylvie." Sookie caught up to the tall vampire and Sylvie met her gaze, albeit upside down.

"What happened?" She asked sheepishly.

"One of the followers hit you with a stake." Eric answered in Sookie's stead.

"Ohhh..." Sylvie groaned. "Man, you guys, I really gotta stop hitting my head. It is totally hindering me in being a good hero."

"You don't have to be a hero, Sylvie." Sookie stroked her head.

"I know, Sooks... But I wouldn't mind helping, rather than being carried off the battle field." Sylvie felt the pang in her gut once again and her head lulled back against Eric's chest. Before she let out a yawn she remarked internally that he didn't seem too irritated by helping her. She thought about Godric's nice words to her moments before. Perhaps his vote of confidence would unite her, Sookie, Bill, and even Eric as future friends, rather than adversaries. Perhaps sauntering off the battlefield meant they could leave the animosity all behind.

"Eric?" Sylvie peeped slightly. He looked down, almost startled. "Bygones? Let's all be friends?" She heard Sookie laugh sardonically.

Eric almost beamed and looking away from Sylvie said, How about it, Bill? Cousin says we should be friends." He chuckled and looked away.

Sylvie didn't hear Bill answer. She began to feel stupid, but decided to stand by her peace offering. "Well, I mean it, Sunshine. Laugh all you want. Friends are better than fights." She huffed and closed her eyes.

Later, Sylvie stood in a hallway looking at Godric sitting regally in an understated chair. A line of people in the nest sought to pay him homage and Sylvie waited for Jason to finish paying whatever tribute he felt was due. He walked away and met her gaze.

He smiled sheepishly and approached her, "Hey..." He began.

"Jason, it's ok. Sookie explained."

"She did? Awe, well..." he put his hands in his back pockets. "In any case, I'm sorry. I don't know how I could've gone with them..."

"Sometimes we all get conned," Sylvie sighed. "But, hey, if you hadn't been there, Sookie might have really been hurt. All of us could have been done for..."

"You sure are a hero..." Eric purred as he approached Jason, towering over him.

"Nah, I'm not..." Jason cast his eyes down on the floor.

"No... You are... But you're also a known V-user... among other possible things..." Sylvie's eyes widened. She didn't know if she could deal with this now.

"I don't do that no more... I'm done with that..." Jason glanced from side to side and whispered.

"Well then..." Eric glanced at Sylvie. "Let's just call this one even. If you won't do it again...?"

"Yes... I mean... No... Right..." Jason shook his head and touched Sylvie's hand as he walked away.

"Thank you for that," Sylvie whispered before Eric departed.

He straightened to full height and gazed down at her. "Well, I think the situation is hardly worth hurting a Stackhouse, especially considering his valiance tonight."

"I couldn't agree more." Sylvie smiled. "And..." she glanced down. "Thanks for carrying me out of there. If it's any consolation I was pretty embarrassed.

Eric grinned, "It is a consolation, but the consolation isn't necessary. Please, excuse me." Eric walked away to sit down near Godric. The elder vampire seemed so contained, like Eric's still Shifu. His maker's temperament seemed to belong more to Shaolin than Dallas.

Sylvie walked around the beautiful home. It was a fine nest for a chic set of old vampires. It didn't seem entirely in line with Godric. She would have expected something sparse and warm. She laughed at how someone so cold could radiate something so much like warmth.

Suddenly there was alarm in the house. A crash in the main room broke through Sylvie's dense thought and she ran in to find Godric gripping a woman's neck, lifting her away from Sookie, who was bent over a table. Once again Sylvie could not aid her cousin. Once again she felt like a stranger, felt even more distant from her family than these unfamiliar vampires. As Godric scolded the vampire woman for her barbarity Sylvie dropped her head. The situation between vampires and people seemed so much larger than anything she could comprehend. Though she longed to help, longed to participate in the justice struggle she felt inadequate, helpless. She wasn't a vampire and she felt barely human. As Bill led the vampire out of the nest Sylvie approached Sookie, tears streaming down her face.

"Are you ok?" Sylvie hugged her cousin.

"Yes. I'm ok..." Sookie trembled.

"Who was that? What happened?"

"Bill's maker. They're pretty possessive I guess." Sookie forced a smile.

"I'm sorry, Sooks. I'm glad Godric was here to save you _again_."

"Hey!" Sookie commanded quietly, "You don't have to be a hero. Am I ever a hero?" She stood, hands on her hips.

"Of course!" Sylvie almost yelled. "How can you say that? You have helped so many people, vampires, everybody! You can really use your gift... You can use it... Me? I get hit in the head... or wander away at the worst time possible... or even if I am there in time, I don't have the strength to finish the job..."

Sookie took her cousin's hand. She felt embarrassed for the bad luck she'd had lately. Sookie wished she knew anything about her abilities, but she was just as confused about her own. Before she could think of anything to say to Sylvie, however, a voice rang out, "My I have everyone's attention? I have a message for you all from Reverend Steve Newlin..."


	9. Chapter 9

Sylvie turned toward the voice just as the boy opened his shirt. An extensive network of TNT, silver, and pathetic little stakes strapped mortally across his chest. He lifted a detonator in his left hand. Sylvie tried to raise hers to brake his fingers before he could detonate the bomb, but it was too late. The ignition sent a spark through the network and Sylvie clenched, trying to imagine the boy imploding rather than exploding.

Eric sprang forward to Sookie and Sylvie as the vampires dove for cover. But the screams that echoed were not met with a deafening boom. A molten-orange sphere bloated and enveloped the bomber. A churning burning ochre illuminated the room like a sun, a strangely slothful supernovae. Eric and Sookie stared in amazement at the awesome glow. It was almost blinding.

Sylvie held her stance. She could feel the heat of the impending blast like a sunburn on her face. She stretched her fingers until she felt like the skin between them would rip. She pushed every muscle, every joint upward to her brain while every thought shot into her gut. The force blasted from her to contain the star of radiance. She gazed at it like a crystal ball, denying its expansion and ordering the future to recoil and surrender. This time, she would not allow people to die, she would not allow the Fellowship to misuse the sun. She would quell this murderous orb, douse it with her will.

Bill ran into the house and grabbed Sookie, astounded by the glow. Every vampire seemed hypnotized by the artificial dawn and by the skinny girl commanding it. Sookie began to cry, Jason could barely move. They wanted to pull Sylvie away from the ball of fire, but if they did... there was no telling of the result.

Sylvie felt her eardrums blow out. It began with the scream of the nerves, the swan song of her hearing. The room became incoherent except for a distant ringing. The searing pain radiated into her left eye as the sight began to leave it. But Sylvie didn't dare look away, didn't dare blink. She lurched and took a step forward. Sookie attempted to reach for her, but both Bill and Eric restrained her. Sylvie took a second step and nearly stumbled as the vision in her left eye abandoned her completely. Blood ran from her ears as if from a chink in a dam. Her mouth fell open and though she could not hear it she began to scream gutturally like a wounded animal, like the thoughts in her gut were fleeing her dying body. She inched closer and closer, the crowd gasping with each movement. Then, suddenly, the tension gave. Her body seemed formless and weightless. The sight in her right eye was blown out like a candle and her toes lifted gently off the floor. A whir silenced the electric roar in the room as the bright sphere collapsed into a dense black core. It spun slowly, vibrating, and blew out in a loud burst of air.

Sylvie's arms floated down to her sides as she swayed gently in the air, her toes barely scraping the floor. A tear of blood rolled out of her nose. As the vampires and humans moved out from under cover she collapsed, but was caught swiftly by Eric.

"Get the humans!" He shouted as Bill and others sprang for the boys cowering outside of the window.

"Sylvie! Sylvie!" Sookie threw herself on the floor. Eric shook her

"I don't think she can hear," Eric lamented.

Sylvie began to convulse from her core, as if her spine were trying to rip itself from her body. Her lips trembled as if electrocuted and her eyelids fluttered over bloodshot eyes. Sookie couldn't even see her pupils through the redness.

"Oh, God, please..." Sookie sobbed.

"Help her, Eric." Godric stood over them. Eric looked up. He lifted his wrist to his mouth and extended his fangs in one move. He bit deep and forced Sylvie's mouth open to allow for the flow of blood. Everyone worried she would not be able to swallow, that she was already as good as dead. The convulsions spilled the blood over her face. Eric gripped her hair and pushed his wrist harder into her mouth.

"Rub her throat!" He commanded to Sookie. She complied, sobbing, trying to cajole Sylvie's body to assist in her rescue.

Slowly, surely, Sylvie's shaking began to wane. It subsided into a tremble and then stillness... At first Sookie was convinced of her death, but then she saw Sylvie's lips seal around Eric's wrist. She began to drink in earnest, intensely, for her life. The blood stopped flowing from her ears and nose. Eric began to groan, cough. He would have to give her a great deal of his blood to bring her back.

But then she stopped. Eric pulled his wrist away and gagged. "We provide you blood." Godric reassured. "Do you think she's been given enough?"

"I don't know..." Sookie took over holding her cousin, wiping the blood from her face.

"_That was amazing..._" Sookie gasped. Sylvie smiled briefly. "_Can you hear me?"_ Sylvie spoke only to Sookie.

"Sylvie... Sylvie... I hear you. Are you ok?"

"Y-Yeah..." Sylvie whispered out loud. There was a collective sigh around the room. After a moment she opened her eyes.


	10. Chapter 10

Sylvie lay on a couch gazing into Sookie's face. "What happened?" she asked.

"I think I died..." Sylvie smiled. Bill and another appeared through the front door with two shaking Christian cadets. Vampires swarmed them, anticipating a vengeful feast.

"Wait." Godric commanded as the boys collapsed on the floor. "Call the police."

"What?" Eric shouted. "After all these people have done to us? To you?"

"You would have me be a hypocrite?" he turned to his progeny. "If I were to allow barbarity here, I would myself become a barbarian. Call the police. We shall not harm anyone."

The boys began to cry. Eric recoiled, his desire to drain them almost overwhelming. He looked to Sylvie who stared intently at their tears that fell. "What will the police say? Do?" Sylvie met his gaze, "Should we tell them that the lack of a bomb, the lack of a bomber, is due to the awesome power of some small girl..."

Sylvie's brow furrowed, "I can prove it to them."

Eric admired her conviction, but scorned the plan. Her face seemed different, like the first time they'd met. He wished he could glamour her, remove her self-imposed burden. He could feel it now. And though he pitied her humanity, he felt consumed by her confidence. His head dropped, "Sylvie..." he spoke her name softly, "After..._that..._" he motioned to the singed corner, "I do not think you could lift a cat..."

Her eyes narrowed and the two crying boys suddenly stuck to the ceiling like spiders, held tightly in place by strong invisible hands. "Maybe not a cat, Sunshine..." She smiled and the boys crashed to the floor. They coughed and spat. Sookie trembled as she held her cousin's hand.

"Well, that does it, who is calling 911?" Godric turned and several vampires offered and pulled out their phones. It was Eric, however, who connected with the operator.

"What's happened?" Sookie whispered.

"I became the sun..." Sylvie beamed.

"I think you're high off of all that vampire blood..."

"No no!" Sylvie protested, "Well... maybe just a little..." She giggled and stretched. "You can see, look in my head..."

Sookie's smile left her face. She hesitated, but slowly took her cousin's hands. With her eyes closed she allowed herself to feel inside the depths. Suddenly a ball of fire consumed her, it expanded within her, ecstasy filled her senses like a rolling orgasm and she fell backward. "Oh... Wow!' Sookie's eyes flung open, her face flush. Bill furrowed his brow at the curious feeling he felt from her.

"I know, right!" Sylvie laughed.

"But what does that mean?" Sookie got back on her knees to take her cousin's hand. Before Sylvie could answer police entered the room. Godric spoke to them as Eric brought her a glass of water.

"Here, gather your strength." He touched her hair with uncharacteristic gentleness. He felt oddly calmed by the warmth that radiated from her.

"I think I have about as much as I could. Thanks, Sunshine..." She drank to be polite.

"Why do you call me that?" He chuckled.

"Because it's ironic..." Sookie snorted at her cousin's answer. The police approached.

"You stopped the bomb." A sneer stole his face. Eric growled slightly.

"She did. You should thank her for saving so many lives..."

"Lives?" the cop scoffed, "Well... anyway. How did you do that, miss?" He took out a notebook and began to write. Suddenly it pulled from his hands and landed in Sookie's.

"What does it say, Sooks?" Sylvie asked.

"Fangbanger hero bullshit..." Sookie read. Eric narrowed his eyes at the cop.

"Don't glamour him, he needs to revise his notes." Sylvie pulled the cop closer, his feet skidding across the floor. "Here's your book back..." The notepad flew gently into his grip. His face was cold, still. He began to scribble in earnest. The truth had stunned his prejudice.

The boys cried harder as they were cuffed and carried away. Godric shut the door behind them and approached the group hovering around the couch. "That was a very brave thing you did. Your name is Sylvie?"

"Yes." She extended her hand and the old vampire shook it.

"Thank you. It's not often that I am surprised after so long... It's a wonder that Sookie would risk herself... and that you would die for us." Sylvie's face fell in gratitude and awe. Somehow, with his age and separation from humanity he understood what had happened. He understood that a new life lay there. He smiled and glanced at Eric. His cool eyes seemed to shake with the feelings he sensed from his new bonding. "I know this is not the bond you intended, but it may offer something you seek." Godric placed a hand on his arm before walking away.

Bill narrowed his eyes, "What does that mean?" Eric shook his head.

"Eric gave her his blood... He saved her." Sookie took Bill's hand, who did not move his gaze from Eric.

"I gathered that... But..." He trailed off, still wary of Eric's desire for Sookie.

"_He means you, Sooks_." Sylvie's thought rang out. Sookie shot around and stared down at her cousin. She knew of that risk, and suddenly feared Godric's closing remark. "_He can't have you unless you want him to."_ Sylvie grinned as she thought, "_and I wouldn't blame you if you did._" Sookie scoffed and rolled her eyes. She looked at the ceiling and thought back to the fire ball that filled her. It seemed like Sylvie had come back to life as the child they all used to know. It was like the distance between them had closed. If such a thing was possible then any future plans were unstable. Sookie abandoned her thoughts on Eric for the time being and turned, focusing on her deep love for Bill. He pulled his stare from Eric, sensing Sookie's change. His face softened almost into sadness.

"You know, Jason looks like he's going to pass out on his feet!" Sylvie called out. Jason had been leaning against the back of the couch, ignored yet again by the tasks at hand.

He smiled. "I think I'm ok...You just relax, Sylvie."

"I'd really like to get up off this couch if my nurses would let me..." Sylvie stretched like a sleepy cat.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Sookie groaned.

"Yeah, I've never ever felt better. You know, I have this great clarity and it's not just because I am _so_ high right now..." Jason laughed in spite of himself, knowing some of her feeling all too well. Eric glared at him for a moment, then shook his head at his lack of humor. The situation no longer required posturing.

"We can go back to the hotel." Eric announced.

Sylvie sat up, "That is a fantastic idea. It's going to be awesome learning how to walk again." She stood, wobbled. Several hands flew out to brace her. "Whoa, folks. Just chill... chill" She stood stable for a moment before taking a few teetering baby steps, "It's weird to do this as a grownup. Maybe this is what it's like to get out of a wheelchair." She headed for the door and when it was opened she skipped into the night.

"Take it easy!" Jason called after her. The group said goodnight to Godric as they moved toward a car in the driveway. Sylvie stared up at the stars, closed her eyes as the warm Texas breeze touched her face. Sookie felt a lump in her throat. She couldn't hear a thought from her cousin, but she felt that she might suddenly fly away.


	11. Chapter 11

The Stackhouses piled into the back of an SUV with Sookie in the middle. Eric rode shotgun as Bill took the wheel. Sylvie rolled down the window and Sookie called out, "Bill, turn on the radio. I'd really like to hear something other than this girl's perky thoughts." Jason laughed as Bill flicked a knob and the speakers came to life with some blaring Faith Hill.

Eric groaned and glanced at Bill, who seemed to wince in embarrassment. The trio started giggling and wriggling. Eric glanced behind him to see Jason lip-synching "_All I wanted was a white knight with a good heart, soft touch, fast horse._"

Sylvie threw her hands in the air, "Stackhouse party in the back!" And they rocked the cabin with their seat dancing. Bill winced again and Eric caught his gaze. Bill couldn't revel in his discomfort for long as Sookie's infectious joy filled him and pulled his mouth into a little smile. His foot even began to tap the car floor.

Eric's face brightened with a smile. He'd taken pleasure in Sylvie's sense of humor, her silliness had now ceased to be pathetic and was somehow kind of adorable. Sookie reigned as the queen darling of the car, dancing sandwiched between her thick brother and increasingly intriguing cousin, but Eric no longer only had eyes for her. Godric implied Sylvie's death, but Eric felt infected ironically with her life. He would have thought himself as an invader with his blood powering her body, but he was unprepared for the bombardment of her emotional energy. He watched the Stackhouses laugh and joke, reunited and exhausted from the night's struggle. He thought back to what Isabel had said; how humans feel so much more deeply than they do, everything is urgent. But in that moment Eric felt no urgency in Sylvie. He felt only immediacy.

Upon arriving at the hotel, the laughter did not cease. A dark luscious vampire shot Jason a flirtatious look, and he was met with the cat-calls of his two short companions. Sookie bounded into the hotel to catch up to Bill, nuzzling under his arm as they approached the elevator.

"You know, the notion of going to bed is pretty unsatisfying." Sylvie announced as she stood in front of the elevator, hands on her hips.

"It doesn't have to be..." A glam and handsome vampire slithered up behind her. Eric felt a jolt of hostility in him.

"How fresh..." Sylvie cooed, narrowing her eyes, "I don't think you can do the job though, but thanks." She walked up to Eric and leaned against his arm. The smarmy vampire's eyes widened, feeling miniscule and a foot shorter than the black-clad Viking. He slunk away.

"Man, and I thought I was a good body guard." Jason laughed as he flexed his arms.

"Aw... Sometimes you gotta fight fangs with fangs." Sylvie gazed up at Eric, who winced at the sheer heat of her face radiating against his cold arm.

"You think he's the more dangerous choice?" He leaned down slightly and gave her a salty look.

"No..." Sylvie pursed, "but he's also likely less fun." Bill looked irritated at Sylvie's flirtation with Eric. He knew how the blood within her could draw her to him like a dizzy moth. He would have preferred she resist, however. She seemed too willing and he worried that somehow she would provide an immediate pathway for Eric to Sookie. Sookie saw Bill's unsteady gaze and squeezed his arm. She distrusted Eric's new interest in her cousin as well, and felt guilty in that she hoped she might distract him from her. Perhaps Sylvie's wish for friendship could come true.

"Well, Jason, maybe we could get a drink! I feel like I could fuck five people, juggle, and drink a bottle of bourbon all at the same time!" Sylvie pushed off of Eric's arm.

"I don't doubt it, cuz." Jason laughed. "I could... maybe... be persuaded by the bourbon part."

"You can't find much good bourbon in California..." Sylvie gazed at the vampires.

"I wouldn't know," Eric quipped. "I would suspect, however, that rest might be in order... for all of us. We've only a couple of hours until dawn, if that." Bill both relaxed and chaffed at Eric's sudden sensibility.

"Awe..." Jason began, "You know, that might be a good idea. I'm sure even in a vampire hotel there's a _human_ happy hour, Sylvie. We can go out later." He rubbed his hand across his chest and leaned toward Sylvie's face. "I _am_ pretty tired. And you just got blown up." Sookie winced at the joke, but Sylvie laughed.

"Man, how the mighty drinkers have fallen... I'm tempted to go find that Vampire David Bowie and..."

"Oh no you're not." Eric suddenly slung her over his shoulder as the elevator arrived. Sylvie squealed only briefly, and then resigned to her free ride upstairs.

"I can walk, you know..." She growled.

"But you don't have to." He smiled briefly without putting her down. Sookie remained quiet, suspicious.

"_Why should all the vampires only want you?"_ Sylvie quipped inside Sookie's brain. "_I know you don't trust him. But you can't go through life thinking people are black or white, light and dark, good, evil. It's just not fair."_ Sookie gazed behind Eric's back to see Sylvie smirking. Things were taking an odd turn, Sookie thought, but it wasn't uncommon that she was confused.

The group arrived on their floor. "You can take Jessica's room." Bill alerted Jason. "She has returned to Bon Tempes early."

"Oh, thanks, Bill. That's nice." He turned to follow them into their hotel room, glancing to his left as Eric carried Sylvie into her room like a rag doll. "You think Sylvie's ok?" He whispered to Sookie, "Do you think that guy's gonna hurt her?"

Bill growled slightly but Sookie hushed him, "No, Jason," she began, "I really don't think we need to worry about him. Even if he didn't care about her really, he can't match her now. She's stronger. I think she figured it out."

"Figured what out?" Jason asked as he walked toward the connecting room.

"How she works..." Sookie plopped down on the bed, debating whether she should try to hear Sylvie's thoughts.


	12. Chapter 12

"Ohh, this is the best bed of my life." Sylvie landed face first into a pillow.

Eric glanced at her back, wriggling into the mattress, "I've never really cared for vampire hotels."

"But the beds, man... the beds... Do you sleep in a coffin at home?" Sylvie rolled over.

"Bed..." He put his hands in his pockets.

"Of course, I'm stupid. When I tried to come get Sookie she told me Bill was sleeping in the back. I guess I just kind of imagined vampires sleeping in coffins."

"They're still very useful in spite of light-tight bedrooms." Eric turned for the door.

"You're leaving?" Sylvie sat up on the bed.

He stopped at the door and only turned his head slightly. "You need your rest."

"I feel great... Man, this blood... Are you just trippin' balls all the time? I've never felt anything like this..." She flopped back onto the mattress and wrapped herself in a cocoon of blankets.

Eric smiled and tried to think if he felt any differently while human, if he felt less _high._ "I think you're having a more intoxicating time with my blood than I do."

A muffled giggle let out from under the covers, "Does it make me a weirdo that I find this whole thing incredibly hot?" She poked her face out from the blankets.

Eric breathed deeply in preparation for a conversation of which he was atypically unprepared. He walked over to the foot of the bed. "I would have suspected Bill or Sookie to warn you..."

"Warn?" Her forehead wrinkled.

"Upon drinking a vampire's blood, upon forming that bond, a human will develop an attraction... for-"

"You." Sylvie finished his sentence and giggled again.

"Yes. I suspect when the euphoric effects wear off you'll be less inclined toward these feelings..."

"Why?" Sylvie sat up like a burrito, "Will you stop being eight-feet-tall and ripped to shreds?" Eric laughed and looked down. He had never been humble, it was an unnecessary emotion. However, feeling her attraction to him was strangely embarrassing. He couldn't tell if he was titillated or mortified. "You're so ripped..." Sylvie began as she fell back on the bed, "somebody should bring you some duct tape.."

"Has anyone ever told you you're ridiculous?" Eric sat down at the very edge of the bed with his hands in his pockets.

Sylvie wrinkled her nose, "Are you kidding?" She rolled her eyes and threw the blanket off of her, "I _am_ ridiculous." Her mouth twisted in disappointment. She knew that two things worked against her: one would always haunt her and that was the absolute disinterest of any incredibly handsome man who came to know her, the second would be Eric's clear interest in Sookie.

"I didn't say you were." Eric suddenly interrupted her pouting. "I just wanted to know if you'd been told you are..." He leaned slightly closer on one hand.

Sylvie squinted, "You know what? I have. But it doesn't matter anymore because I know now that I am more than ridiculous. I've got a clear view now, clear thinking. And nobody who can see the world as immediately as I can now could be worthy of ridicule. So, if you think I am ridiculous, you can just leave." Suddenly Eric flew off the bed and skid on his heels toward the door.

"Sylvie, wait!" Eric threw up his hands moments before the door was set to fly open. "I don't think you're ridiculous..." The force let go and he walked toward the bed. Sylvie rolled away. "I can admit thinking you're _silly_... but... I kind of like it. Your... _people_... have little sense of humor."

Sylvie turned her head to look at him, "I have a great sense of humor..." Eric chuckled at the resolve he felt coming from her. He sat down on the edge of the bed again, dropping his head to avoid her gaze. He sighed uncharacteristically and contemplated what to say next. His introspection was halted by the magical unbuckling and whipping of his belt across the room. His eyes shot up to Sylvie's smirking face.

"You're a little minx..." He squinted, torn between the interesting opportunity before him and some plot he had yet to resolve.

"Seems so..." She rolled toward him onto her stomach. "Do I have to take your pants off for you, or can you manage?" He grinned and lunged for her, slipping his arm under her waist.

"I'm not sure if I _want_ to manage." He lowered his head and kissed her upper lip slightly. She shivered at his frigid mouth, opening hers to accommodate his curiously cold tongue.

The top button popped through, the zipper slid down and dexterously the denim flew across the room. He chuckled without pulling from her mouth. Sylvie ran her hands over the hardness of his back, sliding them under the fabric of his shirt. She wondered if he'd be mad or amused should she rip it. She decided, however to lift up gently, allowing them to swim in the air, shedding their clothes before sinking back onto the bed. Sylvie draped across his cold, firm naked form. She had to stifle a fit of giggles at his sheer physical glory and the almost unbearable cold kisses he trailed down her neck.

He relished her goosebumps and resisted the enticing rhythm of the vein in her neck. She was almost too warm to the touch, the thumping of her heart heating her beyond his comfort level. He sat up and let her hands roam along his chest and stomach, "I could wash my clothes on you..." She laughed tracing the indentations of his abdomen.

"Could probably boil water on _you_..." He bit gently at her bottom lip and slipped one very cold finger between her legs. He groaned in the strangely intense pleasure of her wetness. His member hardened, pressing against the place his hand had explored moments before. They groaned in unison as Eric's fangs flicked out.

"And I thought human guys had it rough when they got turned on..." Sylvie kissed him carefully, feeling the sharp points with her tongue. She slid her hands over his broad shoulders and lowered herself onto him, feeling impaled and dizzy. Eric grunted, gripping her thighs, spreading her legs wider to accommodate him. He thrust upward like a beast, feverishly. While trying to maintain control of his blood lust he gave into his primal inclination.

He flipped her over, somewhat startled to find they were above the bed. "Put us down." He ordered gruffly. They dropped like bricks onto the mattress and without hesitation Eric pounded her, infatuated with her heat, her wetness, her breasts and breathing. Sylvie did not close her eyes for the marvel above her, ravaging her. His teeth gritted and his fangs glistened. His smooth skin worked over his muscles in unison with his thrusting. She hoped he would not bite her when he came. She hoped he would not come soon. She wanted it to last for hours.

Eric slid his hands along her and gripped her hair. Her back arched as his thrusts became faster, more demanding. Her whole body shuddered with a consuming orgasm. Her quaking frame and the powerful grip of her ecstatic pussy threw Eric over the edge. He growled into her neck and held himself within, frozen deep inside of her. Their climax left them embraced like statues for a few moments before Sylvie exhaled beneath him. He lifted his face from her nape and revealed his fangs sheathed. They stared at each other without contemplation, emotion, but with stoic unity. Eric gracefully pulled himself from her and rolled onto his back.

Sylvie closed her eyes in satisfaction but did not smile, "Have you ever come so hard you could feel your heart beating in your teeth?"

Eric did smile. He lay there a few moments, trying to remember when he had his own beat. He closed his eyes, "No."


	13. Chapter 13

The sun was out. The air in Texas seemed like hot water.

"Cuz!" Jason's twang sounded muffled through the door. He banged on it, called out a few more times. Sylvie opened her eyes and smiled. She didn't bother checking beside her.

"I'm coming, Jas'." She called out. Sylvie stretched out over the whole bed before getting up to dress.

Once downstairs Sookie joined her cousins. The vampire hotel actually had outdoor seating for the bar with umbrellas no less.

"Why would they need umbrellas?" Jason squinted up at the black parasols.

"Maybe for when it rains?" Sookie giggled and sat. She noted Sylvie's odd grin and the difficulty she seemed to have sitting.

"What's wrong?" Sookie asked.

"Huh?" Sylvie gaped, "Oh. Nothin'. Just a bit sore from all the adventures last night."

"I don't doubt it -" Sookie began with a smile but was cut off with the flashing images of Eric unclad with fangs extended. Moans echoed in her brain. "What the _eff_, Sylvie!" Sookie shouted. The waiter jumped back at the shout just as he was taking the bulky drink order.

"What?" Sylvie mooed.

"What... did... you... do?" Sookie squinted. The two girls stared in a duel for a moment.

"What?" Jason slunk down in his chair.

Sylvie suddenly widened, "Oh Jesus Christ, Sookie! Why did you look? That's totally fucked up!"

"What's _effed_ up is what you did!"

"What? Fucking is FUCKED up?" Sylvie leaned forward and shot the light rum placed before her a moment before.

Sylvie scoffed, disgusted, "How could you do that with _him_?"

"Who? Sylvie?" Jason smirked, "Cuz, did you get laid?" He giggled and leaned toward her.

"Yeah! I did, Jason."

"Alright!" He offered her a high five.

"Don't you dare, Jason!" Sookie snarled.

His hand lowered sheepishly, "Why not?"

"Because!" Sookie glanced between the two cousins. "It was _Eric_!"

"Whoa..." Jason leaned back.

"So?" Sylvie spat.

"Because! He's horrible!" Sookie took a gulp of her own drink. "You have no idea the things he's done..."

"You mean wanting you?" Sylvie threw her hand up toward the waiter and motioned for two more shots.

Sookie sputtered before leaning back. "He's a liar. He's just using you!"

"To get to you, right?"

Sookie stammered, unable to decide on what to say.

"Yeah, I know, Sooks" Sylvie gulped more rum, "I know he wants you. I know that all the god damn vampires think you're so amazing. I get it. You are amazing. You help people and are amazing. I fucking get it. Maybe he did use me. Maybe he doesn't care."

"And yet you just let him! You let him trick you!" Sookie sniveled.

"No I did not! You think I want him to be my boyfriend or some shit? Did you not hear what I just said? I get it. I have no delusions of his deep Bill-like vampire love for me. It's not fucking there."

"So why then?" Sookie teared up.

"Because he's gorgeous. He is so freaking hot." Sylvie leaned back and regretted the third shot. "You can hear about how much all the guys want you. How much they want to fuck you. You know that if you want to lay some guy you just have to look in his head to find out if you've got a shot." Sylvie drank the shot anyway. "I don't have that luxury."

"So that's all that is? To feel wanted?" Sookie wiped a tear from her eye.

"No, Sookie. Not to feel wanted. To not care if I get rejected. To get what _I_ want." Jason suddenly remembered his own drink and dove into it. "I was absorbed by a god-damn bomb last night, Sooks. I pretty much died. That 'horrible' vampire gave me his blood and when I woke up I was high and full and totally renewed. I'm sorry if it was so horrible and irresponsible that I wanted to fuck a towering blond Adonis after having a life-changing experience - a life ending experience."

The three Stackhouses sat back and looked away from each other. They were all feeling pretty drunk at this point and the tension began to fall.

"I'm sorry, Sylvie." Sookie looked up. Her head swam a bit and she could hear the intermittent thoughts of her brother, his discomfort at the whole situation. She always winced at hearing his alienation.

"It's ok, Sookie." Sylvie wiped at her face.

"I guess he just scares me is all." Sookie sipped at the previously untouched pina colada.

"He's scary," Jason piped.

Sylvie giggled, "Yeah he is."

"I just don't know what's going to happen now. Things are so messed up with this Newlin guy and what happened last night. Now Bill's maker is running around. Things are going to get worse, I know it. I just can't take-"

"You just can't take me getting laid?" Sylvie smirked dizzily and signaled for another round of shots.

Sookie laughed, "I guess I don't know. It just seems like a terrible idea. He'll hurt you."

"I can hold him back enough to get away if he tries some blood-sucking shit."

"No, Sylvie, I mean... your heart." Sookie placed a hand on her chest.

"Awe, Sooks." Sylvie leaned forward. "I love how fucking romantic you are." Sookie winced at how much more Sylvie cussed now. She seemed different. "I'm not in love with him, Sookie..."

Sookie closed her eyes as she listened to hear of Sylvie was lying. "But you drank his blood."

"_Among other things..."_

"GROSS SYLVIE!" Sookie threw her hands over her face.

"Ah, Sookie! You've got to stop listening in if you don't want to hear my dirty jokes!" Sylive laughed.

"Come on, now, that's not fair leaving me out of this." Jason crossed his arms.

"You want to hear jokes about me sucking cock, Jason?"

"Ah!" Jason laughed and took his new shot of rum. "Maybe it's best I ain't like you. Y'all are fucking twisted girls." His eyes stang with giggles and the aroma of liquor.

"Don't lump me in with that, Jason," Sookie slurred.

"You're the one looking into heads, Sooks," Sylvie mumbled with the glass at her mouth.

"Yeah, and you're throwing shit around rooms!" The table broke out in cackles at Sookie's swear. "Oh, Lord. See what you're doing? You're a terrible influence..."

"Hey, I'm not the first fangbanger at the table..."

"That's a terrible word!" Sookie squealed.

"I kind of like it!" Sylvie cackled.

The trio cleared through the rest of the bar's fresh bottle of rum and a couple of pineapples after Sookie revealed Eric was on the hook for their tab. The day cooled as it approached evening. It seemed like the hotel was a living being that came awake at night. Sookie looked around at the outside walls and the dark purposeless windows.

"This place seems like a spider," she mused aloud.

"Say what?" Jason looked up.

"I don't know. Lots of eyes. Lots of legs. Scary."

"Weird, Sooks."

"How did you stop the bomb?" Jason suddenly turned to Sylvie.

Sookie straightened and tried to pull focus from the drunkenness. Sylvie sighed and looked at the sky. "I think I was trying too hard before." She breathed deep. "I always pushed down in my gut to move things. That's what mom always told me to do, to use the anger and pain in my gut to command things around me..."

"But that seems like it _would be_ really hard." Sookie leaned her elbows on the table.

"Yeah. I think I realized though it's kind of how you do it, Sookie." Sylvie stared ahead at the wavy image of her cousin. "You just sort of listen. You just let the thinking come in." She laid her hand down on the table and closed her eyes. "When I couldn't see and couldn't hear last night I felt like I wasn't there anymore. It was like losing those senses meant I didn't exist. But I could still see the ball of fire. It was like I _was_ the ball of fire. So I figured if I was it, it was me, then_ I_ could just collapse. I would cease to be. I would turn inward and into air. Then I wouldn't hurt anyone." Sylvie looked up. "After I thought that I woke up on the floor with blood on my mouth."

"What does that mean?" Jason grunted.

"If it's in me, I can interact with it."

"I still don't get it."

"If thoughts are in your head you can just hear them..." Sookie started newly focused. "If everything can communicate, if everything is connected, then nothing is alone..."

"It's like particles or some shit," Sylvie giggled and drank some water.

"Particles? Like atoms?" Jason took some water himself.

"Yeah. I think so. All things are little particles. They're all hanging out together. Fish, air, dust, skin. If everything is touching everything, then everything can move everything."

"So you just move your particles that move other particles and then other particles move too?" Jason smiled.

"Yeah." Sylvie beamed. "I think so, anyway."

"That's really cool."

"Totally, Jason." Sookie smiled as somehow they all seemed to hear each other. For a moment it seemed like they were all the same, totally together. She thought for just an instant that when Jason glanced at her he could hear her thoughts.


	14. Chapter 14

Godric had saved her from a very large a rapist, a person rearranged by hate. His particles had been altered by the violent thought of Reverend Newlin.

Sookie was consumed with fear and grief. Though she could not read the minds of the vampires in the room, she could tell that Godric was facing a serious bureaucratic threat. What would they do to him for volunteering to meet the sun? She had given her defense. She had testified to his character and bravery. Would it matter?

"At least we have two of the bombers. How was that averted?" The steel-blond vampire asked nobody in particular.

Eric and Bill looked at Sookie. She shrank a little, worried. "That..." she began. Nan Flanagan looked at her like an insect.

"What?" She probed when Sookie faltered.

"My cousin... Sylvie... She stopped it." She bit her lip.

"How?" The vamp' was becoming exasperated.

"She is telekinetic," Bill finished for her. "She contained the explosion."

"Is she outside? Bring her in." Nan commanded.

Eric was the one who stood, cold and tall. He moved to the door. When he opened it Sylvie nearly fell in, having been attempting to eaves drop.

"You're the one, yes?" Nan raised an eyebrow in condescension.

"Um." Sylvie's eyes rounded. She looked at Sookie.

_Should I say yes? _Sylvie asked clandestinely. Sookie nodded.

"Yes. I am."

"Well," Nan began, "As of now you did not. The bomber was pushed outside by Isabel, our new Sheriff, saving the lives of vampires and humans alike. Is that clear?" She lifted both eyebrows.

"As clear as day," Sylvie squinted. A sense of panic stole both Bill and Sookie with Sylvie's audacity.

Godric and Eric smirked. Nan ignored it verbally, but seemed to absorb Sylvie's face, giving her a bemused and knowing look. Sylvie shivered at the lack of anger.

The vampires stood and left the conference. Following a silent caucus with Nan, Eric followed Godric and Sookie as they trailed down the hall opposite the rooms. Sylvie was confused. She moved to join her cousin, but was met with a tense disagreement in her stare.

_Is it okay?_

Sookie shook her head.

_Then you need me._

Sookie shook her head again and turned away. As the trio disappeared, Sylvie stood alone and cold. As she stared straight ahead the door to her room opened slowly. A blanket blew out to her as if caught on the wind. Sylvie wrapped herself and walked to the door to Eric's suite, across from Bill and Sookie's. She sat down, leaned her head against the door and wondered if she'd have a chance to dream before they returned. Her eyes snapped open. They would be only two.


	15. Chapter 15

Sylvie sat and waited, quietly warm and ready. Texas had a deep heat to it, but the hotel was skilled at over-using the air conditioning.

"_I wonder if Vampires like the cold..." _Slyvie thought. She tried to suppress the knowing that Godric would meet the rising sun. She pulled out her phone and glanced at the time: 6:03.

He would be gone soon. It wouldn't be long.

Sylvie was startled by a sudden sauntering. She stood up and slid along the wall away from the door. She knew it would be Eric. She could almost feel his grief. She tried to restrain her own regret, sympathy, and pity. He wouldn't want to feel those from her. Restraining feelings is like trying to think of nothing. She knew from Sookie that you can never think - or feel - nothing.

The sauntering revealed itself as the tall and brooding form of Eric - clad in black, red-faced with bloody tears. He halted just before the door, knowing she was there. He looked up; his face was cold and hopeless.

Sylvie held her gaze on him and resisted taking a deep breath. She remained still. She wanted to show him solidarity. She wanted only to show him her strength, her new-found loyalty as solid as a tree trunk.

He stared at her. She resisted the fear and the urge to say something, to run to him, to shed clear salty tears.

"My maker is dead," he announced. Sylvie restrained every muscle into stillness. After a moment she nodded.

"Do you know what that means?" He asked her.

"No," she admitted with no shame.

"We are worse off." He resisted a sniffle, "I am incomplete."

Sylvie mulled over what to say, what to think. She couldn't tell if he even wanted her comfort, her conversation. Perhaps he only wanted a monologue. But she took a risk. Even vampires need a soft hand sometimes.

"We are all always complete." She maintained a neutral expression in anticipation of a possible rebuffing.

"You think so?" His glistening eyes bore holes into her face.

"Yes. Energy cannot die." She wagered a smile.

"But Godric can, and did..." He moved to her, very close, to stare down at her.

She held her breath a moment, but exhaled with a new-found confidence. "He did. But he always remains. He exists in a new way, Eric. It's pure science."

"Vampires challenge science," he sneered. His grief was so dull and deep he couldn't fully attack her, couldn't take these feelings out in vengeance upon the world. He was pacified. All he could do was listen and challenge before the bleeds would set in and his tears would make the hall look like a murder scene.

"No, they don't. Science does not exclude anything. And, still, Vampires possess energy. Like electricity. It runs through all of us regardless of mortality... or diet..." She wished she hadn't joked, but it was in her nature.

He was frozen, un-breathing, like a miraculous statue, "So what?"

"It's just physics... pure physics... pure energy... energy exists forever; think of light..." She glanced up at the overhead lamp that illuminated the falsely dark hallway. "That's Godric..." She pointed.

Eric grabbed her hand violently, "Don't tease me now. Don't try your girlish humor now. Not now..." His anger mixed with longing and heartbreak.

"I would never tease you about Godric... He was beautiful... and he still is. In lamps, fire, far away stars, and in the moon - the reflection of the sun. He will light your way... always..."

Eric let go of her hand. It would bruise. She would forgive him this once.

"That's very good. I suppose I should learn more physics." He couldn't resist his own humor.

He was oddly comforted by the simple idea that in a small way Godric would never leave him. He couldn't know, though, that his maker's presence would expand beyond her expressed theory. Eric would feel him in dreams and more. And though he didn't know it then, he could feel the truth in Sylvie's voice.

"Sleep next to me," he commanded.

"Okay..." she agreed with no hesitation, but shock.

"Travel with me back to Shreveport," he commanded again.

Sylvie cocked an eyebrow. His attention was unexpected. She couldn't fathom being embraced by the beautiful Viking. But she was there. She was the confidant of the moment. She suspected, and was correct, in supposing that though he greatly desired Sookie, she was an inappropriate choice for such comfort at the moment.

"Alright. I'll come in shortly..." She turned. He grabbed her hand again.

"I appreciate your humanity, Sylvie. You've become interestingly wise." He gazed expressionlessly and more red tears flowed freely. He turned into his room. She remained for Sookie.

Sylvie gazed down the hall as her golden cousin returned from the roof. She had blood smeared across her face.

"Sookie?" Sylvie whispered in alarm.

"Godric's dead..." Clear tears fell.

"I know... but your face... the blood..." Sylvie touched it and showed her.

Sookie gasped, "Oh my god..."

"What happened?"

"I... I touched Eric's face... then I wiped my nose... Oh god!" Sookie cried again, wiping the redness angrily from her mouth.

"Sookie... It's okay..."

"No!" She groaned. Bill was suddenly behind them.

"Sookie, what is the matter?" He held her.

"I accidentally had some of Eric's blood" she cried.

Bill comforted her as she cried a moment. "Don't worry, Sookie," Sylvie rubbed her shoulder. "He's not all bad. I know it seems so. He's a plotting sort of person. But he won't hurt you. You know that." Sookie nodded and moved toward her room with Bill practically attached to her.

"I'm going with him," Sylvie announced.

"What?" Sookie and Bill exclaimed in unison.

"He asked me to stay with him. He's in pain and he knows I'm soft hearted..." She smiled, "He also knows that given how embarrassing I am, he won't have to worry about my judgment."

Bill and Sookie remained frozen as Sylvie moved to her room quickly to pack. Sylvie felt the loss of Godric very heavily. But she found comfort in the light around her, even if she couldn't see the fresh sun outside.


	16. Chapter 16

The ease of her powers was still something to get used to. All Sylvie had to do in her room was glance about, huff, and think "How am I going to get this shit in my bag?" when garments started flying about the room. It was not entirely conscious and she had to grab some shirts from the air.

She felt unstable. She didn't know what Eric wanted or why he'd invited her. He could have most any human. She sulked. She had said it to herself and others repeatedly. She knew he didn't love her, that he didn't really _want_ her in any kind of meaningful way - not like Sookie. Nobody would ever want her like they wanted Sookie. Sylvie felt childish for her small jealousy, but then shook the thought away and all of her clothes fell to the floor.

She closed her eyes and flexed her fingers. This was an adventure. Yes, that's it. This would be an adventure and an opportunity to console a friend. You can be friends with a vampire, right? Sylvie pondered as her clothes set to jamming themselves in her bag. She didn't want to love Eric, anyway. Surely, that would be too much trouble. Crashing echoed out of the bathroom as the shampoo and little soaps joined the rest of her stuff.

You can be friends with a vampire. You can even be friends with a gorgeous viking vampire. Eric Northman: gold and white like a Scandinavian sunrise.

"I," she began, "Sylvia Ann Stackhouse..." She closed her eyes, "Here do swear to myself that I will not get caught up in Eric Northman's bullshit. I accept that his blood pumping through my guts gives me the warm fuzzies and dampens my undies. However, I will not pine and I will not hope for more than there can be or should be. It's not real. He will never be my boyfriend. He will never want me as much as Sookie. But, here and now, I will be a better friend to him than anybody else."

With that self assurance her packing was done. Her belongings dragged behind her as she approached Eric's door.

She knocked on it and it flew in. Her bag flew across the room and before she even recognized the situation, Eric was on her, his fangs sunk deep into her throat.

"No!" She gulped and he stopped.

"You taste amazing," He said, blood dripping from his eyes and mouth.

"You fucker. I never said you could bite me..." her neck ached.

"I know... I am a fucker..." He stared into her face. He bent his head to her neck again, but then he cried out in pain. He backed away and his right forearm was snapped in half, his hand hanging limply.

"I'm on guard, now!"

"You cunt. That really hurt." He actually giggled.

"Well, yeah, that was the idea." She wiped at her neck. The bleeding wasn't too serious. The blood she received from him not more than a day ago still benefitted her.

"I'm just... so..." He sat down on the floor, seemingly hopeless. "I am rarely at a crossroad."

Sylvie walked over to the mini-fridge and popped a True Blood into the microwave.

"I hate that sludge." he grumbled.

"Well, it's all you get unless you want to call room service and have a stranger watch you grieve."

He growled and held his arm back in place. The bone was already beginning to knit. "Give me the fucking bottle then, woman."

"Here's your fucking bottle, monster." She shoved it in his face as he sat, sullen like a child, his long legs spread out.

"I apologize for biting you" he said after downing the liquid with fresh disgust.

"I'm letting you slide with a lot of bullshit I would never put up with, you know." She sat down next to him.

"And why's that?" He didn't look at her.

"I dunno. Lots of reasons I guess." She wiped at his face and spread some of his blood on her neck. The puncture marks closed.

"Like what? Because of Godric's death?" His words trembled, a struggle she had not seen before.

"Yes, that's one reason. Probably the biggest reason."

"And the others?"

"Well," She rolled her eyes. "Unpleasant reasons. Reasons that make me feel like a bad feminist. Your blood and general style have made me attracted to you. I think you're funny. Also, I love Sookie and fighting with you would make it harder on her."

He didn't respond. He just stared at the back of the door. They were quiet for a while. Finally he responded, "It must be nice to have family..." He blinked.

"You have family, too." She smiled. He didn't look. "If I had someone like Pam who loved me, I think I would feel like I do with Jason and Sookie."

He nodded softly. "Yes, being... being... a maker... it is a special bond. More so than you can imagine."

"I'm sure," she nodded, not offended.

"Some of us don't have choices. Some of us are just left out to fend for ourselves. Godric..." He looked up. "Godric let me choose. I was near dead, but he let me choose... I don't know... I don't..." He wiped at his eyes.

Then he growled again. "I hate speaking to you like this."

"Why? Too real?" She asked, quirking her head. He looked at the thumping vein in her neck and got up for another bottle of True Blood. He didn't heat it and nearly gagged.

"I thought you hated that stuff." She smiled softly.

"Yeah... I do... but..." He walked into the bathroom and slammed the door. Though the water was running, she thought she heard the sounds of vomiting. But that's not possible, she thought. Vampires don't vomit.

When Eric returned his face was clean. He was shirtless. "You called me a fucker. That's what I am. That's what I do. I fuck people. I fuck them and drink them and kill them."

Sylvie remained on the floor, her eyes wide, brow quirked. She didn't catch his meaning.

"The world is missing one of its greatest vampires, one of its greatest creatures..." He looked up at the ceiling. "With that loss, the others... all they can think about is fucking quotas. Fucking standards and numbers and equalization..." He walked over to Sylvie and picked her up from the floor like a sock.

"It's as if no life, no death, no thought is meaningful to some... to some..." He crushed her in an embrace. She blushed. This was almost too much for her. How could he bear to let her see him like this...? Why?

But she didn't respond. She just let him hug her. "You don't want me to bite you..."

"No, I don't."

"But what if I have to?"

"Did you throw up the blood?"

"Yes."

"Well, still..." She noted how hard and cold his chest was.

"Can I have sex with you?"

"Are you sure that's a healthy way to deal with your grief?" She asked.

"I don't care." He answered plainly. They stood there quietly for a moment. When she didn't reply he ran a hand up into her hair. He smelled it.

"You think that nobody will love you like they love Sookie..." He whispered.

"Shut the fuck up about Sookie," she groaned. "I love Sookie, but I am so fucking tired of everyone talking about her. You know," she babbled. "They have a drinking game for the Harry Potter movies. There's only one rule. You drink every time someone says 'Harry Potter'. This should be the Sookie Stackhouse drinking game where we drink anytime someone says 'Sookie'. I would die of alcohol poisoning in four hours around you motherfuckers. Sookie Sookie Sookie Sookie." She giggled into his chest.

"Are you jealous?" He mumbled.

"Yes, sometimes. But not for reasonable reasons. They're just feelings. I'm on her turf. I jumped into her life. I can't expect to take the attention of you, one who's desired her long before he knew me."

"Not that long," he interrupted.

"Still. She planted her flag in your heart, even if she did it unwillingly. She's like that. She's better than I am." She smiled, realizing that she actually accepted it. It was alright to be inferior to Sookie Stackhouse. Sookie Stackhouse still had to use her hands to pack her bags."

"What if things were different?" He asked again, massaging the back of her neck. "What if there was another way..." He held her tighter until she coughed.

"Another way for what?" She tried to push away, "What are you talking about?"

"Some decisions have been made for us, before we're aware of it. The question is, do we follow the directive?"

"What?"

"Can I really make up for Godric? Is that even possible?"

"Make up for him? What do you mean?" Eric let Sylvie step back. He unbuttoned his pants and then stood before her naked, exposed. It was a very uncharacteristic move. She was wary and extremely uncomfortable. She found it hard to look at him, but harder to look away.

"Can I fill that void? Can you fill that void?"

"What? What the fuck are you talking about?" She stepped forward reflexively.

"I don't know..." He bent to kiss her cheek. "I am not sure what is right. But I need you now..." He roamed his hands over her. The blood connection overwhelmed her discomfort until she forgot he was a vampire, forgot about his grief, forgot about her cousins, the hotel, the Fellowship, the bomb, her own death. She let him kiss her, remove her clothes, and lay her on the bed. He was oddly gentle, like a broken man. He gripped her and moaned with her, filling her over and over again.

They fucked completely. The bed stained and Syvie was tinted with blood as the bleeds set in on her vampire lover. When they came for an uncounted time, he stopped. He looked down upon her face and wiped away the redness. He searched her face for several grave moments.

"What?" She asked him, desperate for the ability to read his mind. There was more here, there was more.

He just shook his head and kissed her forehead. "You said to have someone like Pam love you would feel as good as the love of your cousins. Is that so?"

Sylvie smiled and nodded. "She's a fucker, too."

Eric smiled softly. "I hope you mean it. I do." She furrowed her brow. "I think..." He looked down. "I must believe in this... I know I'm wrong... and I know I'm right. And somehow we will love each other."

Sylvie's eyes rounded and for a moment the whole building shook. Eric kissed her again before she could think. Then he stared into her face again and traced the outline of her cheekbone with his finger. Almost inaudibly he said, "Forgive me again. Just one more time." Before Sylvie could say anything, even think anything, Eric punched her in the head and everything went black.


	17. Chapter 17

Sylvie had always wondered why something like a blow to the head would send her into a deep sleep. Usually when humans are unconscious from a blow to the head for an extended period of time, their brain is deprived of oxygen, there's damage, coma, death - or worse - a vegetative state.

But for Sylvie that was never the case. Even banging her head on a cabinet would make her wobbly. She'd invariably have to take a nap for an hour to recover. It was a strange quirk, a real weakness. She wished it weren't such a problem.

Upon leaving the church in Dallas, wrapped up in the arms of a dead man, she thought about wearing a helmet anytime she charged into a dangerous situation. Maybe she could get a sweet metal one like Magneto. Yeah, that would be pretty cool.

It was at this time that Sylvia realized she was sort of awake. But she couldn't really feel anything. She'd had a sort of abstract conversation with herself. It featured a series of images of her youth, adolescence, her screaming mother, and grad school. She saw Jason laughing and Tara with black eyes. She shuddered. That's when she felt something.

_Hey, where am I_? She wondered in the blackness. The images weren't real. The light in them was artificial; a figment. She remembered lying in bed with Eric Northman, everything stained with his grief and misery. They'd made love. It had been beautiful, moving, and at times very uncomfortable. She noted that he was probably mortified at his behavior; he surely never, ever showed such vulnerability. Sylvie was amazed at how the loss of family could alter someone's character so completely for a day.

But was he changed overall? _Hey, where am I_? Sylvie focused on the question at hand.

_Hey_... She wondered again. _He hit me!_ Sylvie felt a rage grab her throat. _How could he do that?!_

She thought back, "Forgive me again. Just one more time."

It was at that moment that Sylvie took a breath for what felt like the first time. But it didn't offer relief. It didn't feel like she'd been starved of oxygen. All the breath did was suck dirt into her nose, leaving her to cough and chew on the soil.

_Oh._... She thought. _This... is... not... happening..._

Her chest tightened. It felt concave. Her stomach was gripped into a tight ball, painfully swollen. The hunger was overwhelming. She was horrified at the voraciousness of her appetite. She began to cry for the pain and disbelief.

"This is garbage!" she whispered to the earth. "Why?! Why would he do this to _me?!_" She couldn't fathom it. It made no sense. Why? How? For what purpose? Didn't he know _Sookie would never forgive him..._?

Or maybe she would?

Sylvie shook the thought away. No, this was a horrifying nightmare. He punched her merely to drink from her, desperate in his hunger and lust. He said she tasted amazing and he threw up the synthetic blood. Yes, this is a dream, a fantasy. _Maybe he took too much in his anguish and I'm in a hospital..._ Sylvie made a fist, noting that the earth didn't feel especially cold. She tried to imagine that someone was holding her hand. Of course Jason or Sookie would be there at her bedside, waiting and praying for her to wake. She had to wake for them. She had to get back out of this nightmare. She could forgive him, she thought, this last time. And she wouldn't even tell the whole story. It was an accident.

An accident.

But the hunger didn't abate. She remained for what seemed like hours, days, who knows. She squeezed her fists; her eyes clamped shut, and _willed_ herself to awaken in a hospital.

It was for naught. It was over. It happened. It could no longer be denied.

The fury was as ferocious as the grip on her stomach. _You motherfucker_... she thought and burst out of the ground with an incredible boom. She stood in what seemed like a forest, but was actually an untraveled portion of a large public park. Her resting place lay behind her, a gaping hole in the ground. The soil blanketed the grass for yards. She remained on her feet, unmoving, frozen like a sculpture.

She looked at her feet and saw she was shoeless. But her toes weren't cold. Nothing about her felt like it did; it was disconnected, not quite as real. She felt like her entire body had fallen asleep and she'd just gotten over the worst of the pins and needles. But there was still numbness. The only pronounced feeling was the stabbing in her gut and the swelling of that pain into her chest. It was overwhelming and she stopped breathing in order to ease the sensation.

When she looked up Eric was standing in front of her, looking wary and restraining his alarm. He didn't like how she looked different. He didn't like how the pallor affected her, how truly _dead_ she looked. The expression on her face tickled a long-lost sense of fear in him. What would she do?

Of course, you lose an ancient vampire and a telekinetic enters the scene in the same show? How would the transformation change such a creature? Sylvie's ability could be useful amplified by the power that courses through a vampire, and managed by their shadowy government. But if it didn't work and her ability was lost, well, then they would know to maintain Sookie's mortality. They couldn't lose.

Sylvie reposed, pondering, wondering if this supposition was true. She found she didn't care. Eric stood before her with a pack of True Blood by his feet. He popped a top and held the bottle out to her. She didn't move. She could barely look at him, could scarcely believe he had the compunction to ask her to forgive him before violating her in a way she could not even describe to herself.

Her heart did not beat and that was even worse than the pangs of hunger.

But then her attention switched. It was a subtle smell. She had sighed, a very human thing to do; something she'd done casually all the time as a way of soothing herself. So it happened reflexively. And when she did, she smelled.

First it smelled like dog and she almost gagged. Then... it was somebody sweaty wearing Old Spice, most likely a man. He was with the dog. Walking it? It was early night and the heat was beginning to abate.

Her stomach pounded, replacing her lost rhythm. She lifted her hand with the single thought of "mine" and the man seemed to appear on a shocking wind, nearly as fast as a vampire in a full sprint. He was in her grip before he could even yell, drained of every drop before he could even process where he was.

The dog barked far in the distance, it became louder as it chased its friend, but stopped short with a snarl. Sylvie dropped its master to the ground.

The blood was nearly intoxicating. Absolutely nothing had tasted as delicious before. Her body shuddered as the warmth coursed through it. She briefly scanned the air with her nose, searching for another fill.

"Sylvie, no..." Eric whispered. "Don't..."

Her eyes opened with indignation, "DON'T WHAT? WHAT?" She shrieked incoherently. She spun around in a whirl, screeching and snarling. Three large trees seemed to uproot themselves and topple over with cracks and cries of the snapping and ripping wood. The grass shaved off of the land and pelted the two vampires.

Eric ducked as a power line came down with a sickening _shick shick shick_. The roar was deafening.

"AS YOUR MAKER I COMMAND YOU TO STOP THIS DESTRUCTION!" he shouted with every ounce of conviction. The chaos stopped. Every item fell from the sky with unadulterated thuds. Sylvie stood in the same spot, her back to him, reposing as if she'd merely turned away in disgust.

"Turn around," He whispered. She could hear him, naturally, and the ability shocked her.

When she turned a vision caught her. Some distance away laid the corpse of the sweaty man she had murdered. His bones were smashed, his skull concave. Brain matter had squished out of one of his eye sockets. His mouth hung open mournfully.

"Oh." She said, simply. She blinked, though she found she didn't need to. Eric did not move for her. He was at a complete loss. The volatile nature of a fresh baby vampire coupled with the apparent magnification of her skill, he was entirely unsure of himself; a strange experience.

Sylvie merely looked around at the scene, surveying what she'd done in just moments. She looked at the trees, power line, grass, roots, and dirt.

"Oh, I wish I hadn't done that" she said. And in that instant every piece of debris let out a "whoof" and dissolved into billions and billions and billions of tiny granules. It was like piles of sand surrounded them. Even the corpse was nothing more than fragments.

"You're all right now." Eric soothed and took a step forward. Her eyes narrowed at him.

"Oh?" She asked. "I'm a murderer and IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" She screamed and the sand whipped around them in a tornado.

"As your maker I command you to stop this!" He said again with less volume. The sand fell about them. He shook it from his hair when it settled.

"That is annoying." She looked at her feet. She couldn't form any coherent protests, any kind of focused rage or grief. The flashing images of her life returned again for a moment. It was so overwhelmingly painful that she could not stand to contain such memories.

She looked at her maker. She knew... she knew... she knew she could never forgive him.

In that moment she closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. That one felt good. When she looked upon him again, he was standing closer, clearly wishing to reach out.

She didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to conclude this, give any kind of closure. She resolved that the reason was simply... _I'm dead_. _The dead can't speak._

Sylvie sighed again and frowned. There was nothing she could do. When she stared deeply into Eric's eyes for a moment he took a deep breath himself. His mouth hung open. She couldn't bear to hear his words.

Eric watched Sylvie intently, focused on her eyes. He had no idea what to say. When she looked at the ground again he searched for some comfort, some thought, something to make her accept the truth of this situation. It could work... It could...

And suddenly POP! The sound was incredible and shocking. Eric actually shrieked for the surprise. Then he realized he was wet. He looked down. He was covered in blood. Before him stood no one, just an even splatter around the small circle where she had reposed.

He closed his eyes. Goodbye.


	18. Epilogue

Epilogue

Sylvie stood in the dark. For a moment she was horrified. What happened? Did it work? Why was she still here?

"Eric?" She called. There was silence. She closed her eyes. "She won't be able to hear me..." she muttered, noting how her dead brain would leave nothing for her cousin to discern.

_Sookie Sookie Sookie Sookie Sookie_

She chanted it in her brain over and over. Then, she sensed a change. She opened her eyes.

The lights had come up slightly. She was standing in Fangastia. It was seemingly empty. She walked around, looking behind the bar, exploring.

"...Eric?" She called again. Nothing. "...Pam?" She called with caution. Nothing. She seemed to be alone. She thought about going behind the bar for a drink, but noted that she'd have to have blood now. But...wait... would she? She realized she had no desire for blood. She didn't feel the burning aching thirst that had consumed her merely minutes before this new hell.

She tried to flick her fangs out. Nothing happened. She reached for a chair with her mind, but it did not move.

"What the fuck?!" She called out. Then she heard a shuffling behind her. She spun around. The smallest woman - if she was a woman - she had ever seen came walking out from the door to the office behind her. She couldn't have been more than three feet tall. She was like a hobbit, but with tiny feet and an angular face. Maybe more like a goblin? She wore a white coat.

"Who...?" Sylvie began to ask, but the little woman signaled she should keep quiet.

She held her hand up, "It is better to listen than to talk." Sylvie furrowed her brow as the woman stood there. Then she straightened her back a bit, though it didn't make her seem much taller. "Sometimes things can happen just like that," and she snapped her fingers. Sylvie opened her mouth, but then paused as she realized that a great volume of blood had begun running down the walls. She was surrounded by the thick red ooze. She gasped, unable to think clearly.

The woman nodded her head, clasped her hands in front of her, and walked backwards out of the door from which she'd come.

Sylvie nearly followed her, but the blood consumed the doorway. In terror she spun around, the opposing door by the stage was free. She sprinted for it, flung open the door, and stumbled over the back of the couch in her Grandmother's home.

She had run with such a force that she toppled over and smacked her hand on the coffee table.

She cussed loudly at the pain, but then choked on the noise. On the opposing couch Sookie sat with her back to her cousin. She seemed to be looking intently at something.

Sylvie fumbled for words. All she could muster was "Sookie..."

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed an enormous man in the hallway. He was broad-shouldered and dark. His black hair was untamed and his beard was scruffy.

"Who..." Sylvie began to ask again, but she started when Sookie turned to look directly at her.

"That's my cousin," the man said in a gruff voice.

"No..." Sylvie squinted with rabid confusion.

"But doesn't she look just like Sookie Stackhouse?" He smiled and searched the ceiling as if birds were flying above.

Sylvie glanced up, but saw nothing. "But..." She began. "She _is_ Sookie. She's _my_ cousin..."

"Is she?" Sookie asked.

Sylvie leapt up. "Sookie! Sookie!" She shouted, taking her by the shoulders. "What's wrong?"

"She's full of secrets." The big man said. Sylvie growled at him, a rumbling vampire's snarl erupting. She felt the burn in her throat again, and in that moment, with her hands gripped on her cousin's arms, she was acutely aware of the overwhelmingly delicious aroma that seemed to steam off of Sookie's neck.

"Watch out for my cousin," A voice slid behind them. Sylvie yelped and turned to look at Jason, standing behind the couch.

"Jason..." Sylvie stood and reached for him. But he shook his head and turned. He and the big man walked upstairs. "Hey!" Sylvie called. "Where are you going?"

She ran into the hall after them and discovered that she was in the cemetery between her family home and the Compton place. She was alone. She walked around the graves, searching, wandering, desperate. She couldn't seem to find the path back to the house. Finally, she gave up and wandered until she found her Grandmother's grave. She sat beside it.

With great wonder and longing, she began to sob. As the moments passed she felt warmer. A hand was on her shoulder. A beautiful woman she'd never seen crouched beside her, holding her arm. She'd never seen anyone so glorious, with piercing eyes and dark hair. She just smiled, and then gestured almost imperceptibly with her head, indicating Sylvie should look up.

The sun was coming up. Through the thick trees the purple and orange were creeping over the darkness. The sun rose and rose, the light falling on her face. It hurt her eyes some, but she couldn't look away. The tears continued to fall. She cried and cried, but found she could not tear her gaze from the dawn. It was so radiant, so vibrant, so incredible. It was so beautiful that she began to laugh between the tears. Everything was clear, everything was peaceful, and everything was happy.

The laughter went on and on, the weeping intermingling with the cathartic joy. Then, when the morning was full, Sylvie closed her eyes. Behind her lids lay an endless white.


End file.
